The Wolf Fights
by KiraLex
Summary: Five years have passed since Helgrim first returned to Skyrim. Recently he has seen how unjustly the Empire is treating their citizens and has vowed that he will do what he can to make everything right again. Follow the Frost Wolf once more as he travels through the land of Skyrim and fights for independence from Imperial rule.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Grim stood outside for a minute and looked around his land. He had accomplished so much during the last five years, considering that he had a five year old to look after who was constantly disappearing into the forest. His cousin, Iddra, had taken up the task of taking care of Lifa when he was away for work or some other reason and recently had come to him and explained how much she worried about the child. He had followed her several times in his wolf form, always keeping himself hidden from her so she wouldn't know that there was such a creature following her. He had already determined that he would keep his secret to himself rather than explaining to his cousin and her husband just what he was. It wasn't that he didn't believe that they would understand and accept what he was, but rather because he had to be careful just who knew about it. In case any hunters came looking for a huge white wolf. If he didn't tell anyone, they wouldn't have to lie about not seeing one.

Lifa may not have known who her mother was, but it didn't matter to the young girl. She had a papa and that was what did matter to her. Her papa was the one who tucked her in every night. Her papa was the one who kissed her boo-boos when she fell. Her papa was always there and even when he was away for a few days, her "Auntie" Iddra was there for her. The only thing that bothered her was that her cousin, Einarr, was always tagging along with her when she took off to explore the woods around their home. Growing up so close in age, the two were almost like siblings and fought like it, too. More than once Lifa has attempted to leave Einarr out in the woods by himself, but the four year old constantly found his way back home again, thinking it was all a game. Lifa would get in trouble for leaving him behind, but she would get out of the worst of it by saying she didn't know he was there. It was only a half truth, but that little bit should matter more. At least in her opinion it should.

Grim wasn't exactly sure what to do with Lifa, but he had managed to keep her alive so he had to be doing something right. He had gotten worried himself a couple years before when there was a serial killer going around Windhelm, the big city near Kynesgrove where they lived. The killer had been given the name of "The Butcher" and he had told himself that he wouldn't get involved and he managed to stay that way, but that didn't mean he hadn't worried about the safety of his own daughter during the time. The man was caught, he heard, in the act of murdering another and didn't even make it to the executioner. Someone hailed as The Dragonborn had apparently put a stop to the man and the Jarl had been very pleased, even granting the title of Thane to the person. He could get the title if he wanted to work for it, but he enjoyed his anonymity. An important factor for a man who could change into a large wolf whenever he chose.

The homestead established, Grim had turned his attention back to his family in Hammerfell. He had written letters to his parents, his siblings and most importantly, to his lover, Eir. Unfortunately, Eir had written back only once, explaining that she had found another and for him to let her go and start a new life in Skyrim with someone new. He had accepted what she wrote, but had no interest in finding anyone else to love. He had loved Aeri and she had given him his daughter, Lifa, but she had passed doing it and if he had a chance to do it over again, he would have made sure she lived. Somehow. There was no way it could have been avoided. Death by childbirth was not uncommon and was unpredictable. There was no way they could have known what would happen when she had gone into labor. He had accepted that Talos had a plan and it involved him raising his daughter alone, so he had kept it so.

He had continued writing to his family throughout the past five years and found himself on more than one occasion brought near to tears because of missing out on something that they were doing. He had heard about his brother's marriage, his only brother Koli, two months after they had already wed. He had not been able to attend, obviously, and couldn't help wondering what his new sister-in-law looked like. His brother's description is only part of the image process. He would have to meet her to solidify that image in his brain. To that effect he had written Koli back and invited not only Koli and his wife, Sif, but also his youngest sister Kenna to come and stay with him for a little while. He hadn't gotten a reply yet, but he hoped they would say yes and come to stay for a bit. He missed his family, especially as he read that his father was getting more and more stiff in his joints with the years. Hunting was getting more difficult for him and he felt guilty for not being there to help his father, but it couldn't be helped. He had come here to make a new start and he had. He also came here for another reason, to fight for religious freedom from the Empire.

Grim had been hearing about the goings-on in Skyrim for the past five years. Rumors and gossip ran amok about the Imperial actions and how badly things were getting in regards to worshiping Talos. It was not merely a jailing offense any longer. If anyone was caught for Talos worship now, it was an automatic execution. He had no idea how much truth there was to the gossip, but he was more likely to believe what the townsfolk were saying as opposed to whatever filth the Empire spewed to its people. He continued to go to the Talos shrine near his home every day and make sure that it is all clear of debris and what not, even spending an hour there himself praying, but he was careful who may have seen him. No longer did he worship openly. He had to be there for Lifa, not put his life in danger. The more and more he heard, the more eager he was to head out and take up arms against the Empire by joining the Stormcloaks.

Fjolnar had already said that if he ever wanted to do so, he would go with him. He wasn't sure he would take his cousin's husband away from her, but he wouldn't stop the man from fighting for what he believed in because it was what he was planning on doing. And he had a little girl to think about. Fjolnar had not only the little boy he had, Einarr, but Iddra was pregnant again with their second child. He didn't want to be responsible for making Iddra a widow. Something told him, however, that there was little that he could tell Fjolnar to keep him from re-joining the Stormcloaks. The man had a personal vendetta against them for nearly executing him five years ago when Grim had saved his life. He had to admit that if he were to have anyone as a shield brother, he would want it to be Fjolnar. At least he knew the man wouldn't let him die just as much as he wouldn't let Fjolnar die. What better friend could you have?

During the past five years he had even made a few new friends. No one all that important, but when you do odd jobs for people enough times they come to know you and have you do more and more for them. He had recently received a request to bring a packet of medicine from Quintus at The White Phial to the miners in Darkwater Crossing. Knowing that the small mining community was only a couple hours away, he told Quintus that he would be glad to bring the medicine to them. Apparently the mine was getting deeper and deeper into the ground and was causing a lot of problems with the miners' breathing. That was not a good thing, since the community depended upon the miners to make their living and keep the "town" going, so he felt the need to see to it that they got their meds.

"Iddra, can you watch Lifa tomorrow?" Helgrim asked his cousin later that night.

"Of course I can, Grim, what's up?" she asked in response, cleaning the inn counter. She stopped after a moment and stretched her back, then rubbed her belly. She was very pregnant with her second child.

"I told Quintus that I would bring some medicine to the folks in Darkwater. Shouldn't take me too long to get there and back. Five hours at the most." He was giving a higher number in case he ran into trouble.

"They've needed that stuff for a while now. It's not a problem. You know as well as I do that she'll probably be in the woods anyway." Iddra gave him a smile and a wink, then went back to cleaning the counter.

"Yeah, I know. That girl doesn't like to stay home." He laughed at the thought of his daughter running through the forest. He had, of course, watched her, but not too close. "How's Einarr doing with keeping up with her?"

"Well, I don't like it, him following her, but I can't stop him. He is his father's son." She laughed lightly at the thought of Fjolnar and how stubborn he was. Einarr was just like him. "I suppose Lifa will keep him safe."

"Yeah, she probably would. Well, I'm gonna turn in now. Got an early start. Good night, Iddra."

"Good night, Grim. Stay safe."

Grim gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek and then left the inn, heading up the hill to where his own house was located. Already Lifa was tucked into bed. He knew this because he had done so earlier that night. He still went into her room and stood in the doorway, just watching her sleep. She was so peaceful, so much like her mother. It nearly broke his heart to look at her, but it also made him think of Aeri and realize that she was still a part of him. She was still in his life, through their daughter. He sighed once and shut the door, then went into his own room to make preparations to leave before he went to sleep. He made sure his backpack had all the necessary things in it, as well as extra waterskins and apples to eat. Never know what he would find out there. He had taken a trip back to Dawnstar when Rustleif's son was born and knew how much things happened to pop up without expecting them. A trip that should have taken a couple weeks there and back, took nearly a month because of unforeseen things. Such as bandits jumping Matilda and him on the road, or Matilda getting a stone in her hoof that caused her to limp part of the way. He had made it, of course, but he determined that things that would happen would always happen during a trip. So he had given himself more time to get places since then.

In the morning, he was up with the dawn and went through his morning ablutions before heading outside to prepare Tilly. She seemed to sense that they were going someplace that day, more than just riding around Kynesgrove. He smiled at the mare's eagerness to get out there. It was nearly as much as his own. After she was brushed thoroughly and he was certain her feet were clean, he saddled her and made sure the bridle sat easily in her mouth before going inside to get his backpack and the saddlebags he had packed last night. He put the pack on his own back and the saddlebags on the horse. He patted her shoulder and then went inside to get his daughter.

"Papa? Where are ya goin'?" she asked him, her eyes peering at him as he knelt before her.

"I'm just bringing some medicine to people who need it. A few hours away, I'll be back before lunch." He pulled her close and kissed her tenderly. "You'll be a good girl for Auntie Iddra?"

"O' course, Papa. I'm always good for Auntie. But why does Einarr hafta follow me?" she whined at him.

"You'll figure something out, sweetheart. I love you."

"I love you, too, Papa."

Then she hugged him and left the house, heading to the inn where Iddra and Fjolnar lived. He sighed and watched her go until she made it inside, then he shut and locked his door and mounted Tilly. He turned her toward the road and urged her forward. The mare shot out and blew into the morning air, the mist rising from her nostrils with each breath. He shook his head and patted her neck, then settled into the saddle and made his way to steadily ride toward Darkwater Crossing. He'd heard rumors about the Imperial soldiers making rounds to several small towns in the area, but since he hadn't seen any soldiers for months, he assumed they were just rumors.

As he rode down the road, his thoughts wandered and he couldn't help but think about his parents. Though his mother was staying strong and doing what she could to make sure the family was cared for, his father was failing. The stiffness in his joints meant he couldn't track the animals he hunted as far as he could before, which made it more difficult for him to provide for his family and offer some to the town as well. It made him feel more and more guilty for staying in Skyrim, but this was Lifa's home now and he was determined not to move her like his family had done to him. He would find a way to make it safe to worship Talos again. From thoughts of his parents, he went to what it would take to join the Stormcloaks. Fjolnar already said he'd speak for him if he chose to sign up. Perhaps that would make it easy for him then. He looked at Tilly and then turned her around in a small circle when he heard the wolves coming toward them from the side of the road. He dismounted and grabbed his sword, stepping away from Matilda who was already running after one of the wolves and attacking. With her ears flattened to her head and teeth bared, she squealed and grabbed the wolf she was after. He didn't look at her anymore because there was a wolf in front of him. He swung the sword through the air as the beast lunged and with one swift strike it was dead at his feet. He found himself growling as he looked at the third wolf. It seemed to shake itself and falter slightly, but Tilly had taken care of one wolf and pounced on the final beast herself with her entire weight. It didn't even have a chance and before long it lay at her feet, bleeding as it died.

"Good girl, Tilly. Nice to know we haven't lost our edge, eh?" The horse merely snorted and stamped a foot, but he took that as her saying 'never'.

Grim remounted and turned her back in the direction they needed to go and urged her onward. As he'd determined, things always came up when he was on his way somewhere. This was no different. At least the rest of the trip was uneventful and he made it to Darkwater Crossing within the next hour and a half. Riding up to the small town, he had to take a moment and look it over. He had been here only once before to see a friend of Gemma's at her request and it had changed little since then. It was a beautiful little hamlet, the sun rising over the trees and shining on the batch of tents around a campfire. Up a small hill sat a farmhouse with a few crops, some chickens and a goat. Beyond the farmhouse he could see the steam rising from the hot springs that lay there. He hadn't had a chance to try them out yet, but he had decided that he would do so one day. Maybe before he got too old to enjoy it. He dismounted from Matilda and patted her neck, then walked her up to the miner's camp and stopped near one of the miners.

"Hello. I'm Grim Frost-Blood. Who would I speak to about the medicine shipment?" he asked a young woman and remembered her name was Tormir. A young mother, she was.

"Oh. That would be Sondas. I believe he's walking around here somewhere. Probably with my daughter, Hrefna. He's who you need to talk to."

"Thank you, Tormir."

"You're welcome, Grim." She smiled at him and then turned to go toward the mine.

He watched her go for a moment, then headed toward the farmhouse to see if he could locate Sondas. If he remembered correctly, he was a dark elf that didn't like his homeland much, if at all. It didn't take too long to locate the man who was walking around with a young girl of about eight years old. He introduced himself to the man and told him he had the medicine in his saddlebags. A quick conversation later, the meds were in the man's hands and he was preparing to head back to Kynesgrove. Back to his daughter. Suddenly, there was a commotion near the woods beyond the camp. Before he could do anything, a mass of people emerged. Not only were there Stormcloaks, but also Imperials. It must have been a battle and he had just gotten caught up in it. Great. It looked like it would take him longer to get home than he thought.

The residents of Darkwater Crossing ran away from the soldiers fighting now beside the miner's camp of tents and took refuge in the shelter of the farmhouse. He was glad to see that they were at least smart enough to get out of the way. He would have hated to have seen anyone, especially the little girl, get hurt by one of the soldiers. He had already drawn his sword and sent Matilda off with the intent to get her out of the way. He should have known better. Setting her free like he did, she took it as a sign and turned on the first soldier she saw. He had time enough to roll his eyes at the mare before a pair of the men were upon him. He growled under his breath as he felt the wolf inside leap against his skin, but he pushed it down. He had to be smart here. Only kill the Imperial soldiers. He wanted to join the Stormcloaks at some point and he had a feeling they wouldn't look favorably on him shifting into a huge white wolf and killing an entire attack party very well. Pushing the soldiers away, he stood abreast a Stormcloak and nodded, then swung his sword at the Imperial and managed to cut him deep in the upper arm, causing the other man's sword arm to become useless.

"I'll help!" he called to the Stormcloak he stood beside and the man nodded and they went after another Imperial together.

The entire battle only lasted about twenty minutes total, so perhaps a skirmish would be a better term for it, and when all was said and done they had won, sending the Imperials running back where they had come from. The Stormcloaks lost just one man and the Imperials had lost five. The leader of the Stormcloak troop came up to him and clapped him on the back with a grin.

"Ah, good that ye were here, man! What's yer name?"

"Grim Frost-Blood. Glad that I could help."

"Aye, that ye did. We were ambushed, ye see? Don't normally have too much trouble with those damned boot-lickers, 'specially when they're in such a small group as that was, but we were caught un'wares, ye know?"

"Aye, I can understand that. May I ask what your name is?" Grim asked the man.

"Ye may. I'm Bjorn Storm-Giver. This here's my group." He motioned to the eight other men standing around the fire to get warmed. "We're on our way to Windhelm after a mission. Once again, I thank ye for steppin' in when ye did."

"You're welcome, Bjorn. I was thinking of joining up with the Stormcloaks anyway. You all seem like a nice bunch of fellows." He whistled to Tilly who trotted over and snorted, ears pinning as she looked at the Captain and other Stormcloaks. "Easy, Tilly. They're all right. They're good."

"That's a good horse ye got there, lad. Never saw a horse fight on their own like that before. How'd ye train it to do that?" asked the captain.

"Now there's a story for you." He chuckled lightly and shook his head. "I didn't train her. She just started fighting off whatever came after me. I worried that she'd get hurt the first few times, but she's as battle hardened as I am now." He patted the mare's neck and smiled. "I named her Matilda. I'm sure you can understand why."

The soldiers, interested in the story, started to laugh and nod. Everyone knew the song that the bards played in the taverns about Matilda. The captain nodded and chuckled, then shook his head. He took up Grim's hand and told him to look for him when he reached Windhelm to join up. He would even put in a good word for him when he got there himself. Then he turned to his men and ordered them to gather up their fallen comrade and head out. After goodbyes were said, he mounted up on Matilda and sighed.

"Are you ready for war, Tilly?" The mare stomped her hoof into the snow as if to say 'Pshaw, really?', then snapped her tail. "Well, let's hope we don't end up dead, eh?" He grinned and urged her on after waving to the Darkwater residents one more time. "Time to get home and talk to Iddra and Fjolnar. I'm sure they won't like the idea of me heading off right now, but they have to know I can't stay the way things have been. Right?" Tilly snorted and picked up speed, knowing that home meant food and she was starving after that bit of fun back there. He focused on getting home as it was now late afternoon and he wanted to get there before dark.

That night at the Braidwood Inn there was much activity inside. Not only was Iddra not happy with Grim's idea to join up with the Stormcloaks, she was most definitely not happy with her own husband's idea to rejoin the army he had been a part of five years before. She blamed Grim for putting the idea into Fjolnar's head, but in reality it was probably the other way around. Fjolnar had been thinking about it more and more as the years had gone by without a resolution to the war. Five years was a long time for a civil war to be going and he wished to see it all end before his own son was old enough to fight. Rejoining the Stormcloaks was one way of doing that.

"Come on, Iddra. At least if I rejoined, I could keep an eye on Grim and keep him safe. Right?" His wife simply glared at him with narrowed eyes and he swallowed hard, looking over at Grim.

"Iddra, let it go. I'm joining. That's all there is to say about it. Lifa will understand and soon enough I'll have Koli and his wife here for a while. They'll help you with watching her."

"Yes, well, he's not here yet, is he? Must you leave right now?"

"I have to do this, Iddra. Bjorn said that he would speak for me in Windhelm. Fjolnar said he would, too. The war has been going on for five years, it's sure to be slowing down. I bet we don't even see much action."

Iddra sensed he was saying that just to ease her mind, but she was still worried. Worried for her cousin's life, but more for her husband's life. Fjolnar had become much more a part of her than Kjeld ever had been. Would she dare call it love? She didn't know for sure, but it was definitely better than her previous marriage. She sighed and hung her head, resting on the table.

"Fine. But if you die out there, I'm going to have a necromancer bring you back just so I can kill you myself for dying!"

"Understood, Iddra. I'll be very careful." Grim smiled at her and then kissed her cheek before stepping back. "I'll make sure to keep Fjolnar safe for you."

"Oh come now, Grim. You think I'm gonna need the help? I've been a soldier before. What have you done other than make armor for them?" Fjolnar teased his best friend.

"I've had my share of battles. They just happen to be against the Draugr rather than living people made of flesh and blood." He laughed along with them.

"Are you sure Tilly hasn't slain most of your enemies for you?" Fjolnar asked, pushing against Grim's shoulder.

"Oh, that's a low blow. You know as well as I do that I can't stop Tilly from fighting just as I can't stop breathing. That mare is a bit insane, I think, but she's got a heart of gold and hooves of steel, it seems. I'm glad to have her as a partner."

"Aye, she is a good shield-maiden to have alongside."

Iddra left the men to talk about horses and battles and went to her room to lie down. It was late and she had to be up early to get breakfast ready for the miners who would be in before they went to work. She was still stewing silently when Fjolnar went to bed. There was no loving between the two that night. Helgrim made sure to get to sleep at a reasonable time as well after saying goodnight to his daughter. He lay in bed before falling asleep that night, wondering what it would all be like. Would he have battles like he'd had with Bjorn's troop against the Imperials? Would they sneak upon an Imperial troop and take them out while they slept? Another thought came into his head as he thought about it all. Would he meet the great Ulfric? With so much talk about the man, he did have to wonder what he looked like. Was he as tall as everyone made him out to be, which was seven feet tall? Surely not everything they said about him was true, was it? Had he actually shouted the High King Torygg apart using just his voice? As he thought about all this, he soon drifted to sleep to have dreams of fighting alongside Fjolnar and Matilda.

A few days later, Grim was in the yard outside the inn, saddling Matilda and making preparations to leave. Nearby stood his daughter, pouty and red-eyed from crying, but brave just the same. He had to give her that, at least she didn't run off and hide like others might have. He finished with the saddle and walked over to Lifa, kneeling before her. He lifted her small chin and smiled at her.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. Papa will be back soon enough. Don't forget that your Uncle Koli and Auntie Sif are coming to stay with you, and your Auntie Kenna, too. You'll have so many Aunties and Uncles you won't know what to do with them all." He teased and she sniffled without saying anything and threw her tiny arms around his neck in a hug.

He sighed and hugged her back. It wasn't easy to leave his daughter with uncertainty as to when he would be back, but it was something he felt he needed to do. Something he believed in. He had to do this. He stood up, still holding Lifa, and looked over at his best friend who was also saying goodbye to his family. His boy, Einarr, wasn't crying, but Grim knew how much the boy wanted to. Iddra, however, was alternating between crying against Fjolnar's shirt and pounding her fists into his ribs. He supposed he should have told Fjolnar to stay home, but he couldn't because the reasons would be the same. To stay with his family. He had a family, too. He had Lifa. Perhaps one day he would have another wife and more children, but for now he wanted just his daughter in his life.

"Come on, Fjolnar, it's time to go. We want to get there in plenty of time, no?"

"Aye. Aye. I'm comin'."

Fjolnar then gave his wife one more kiss, rubbed her belly softly, then patted Einarr's head a final time before turning to get up on his own horse as Grim mounted Matilda. The two of them waved to their family and turned the horses, trotting down the road toward Windhelm. Grim looked over at his friend.

"Tis hard to leave, eh? I keep wanting to turn around and run right back there. Will it get easier, do you think?"

"I can't answer that one, Grim. I feel the same way, but I've decided to do this. We just gotta put our whole hearts into this fight and make sure we return home to them."

"Right." He nodded to Fjolnar and the rest of the ride to Windhelm was quiet and full of thoughts.

Thoughts of home, thoughts of what was to come, and thoughts of what would happen if they didn't return. He didn't like those thoughts at all so he pushed them out of his head. He saw the towers of Windhelm's walls appear soon enough and smiled at his friend and urged Matilda into a canter. The mare tossed her head once, but moved into the faster gait and he heard Fjolnar coming up beside him, too. To say that he was eager to join up was an accurate description. He had been living in Skyrim for five years now. He had seen numerous wrongdoings done to the citizens of Skyrim all in the name of Imperial justice. He wasn't against other races, normally, but those damned Thalmor were behind the troubles, he was sure of it.

The two of them rode up to the stables and dismounted. Grim smiled at Ulundil and handed off Tilly's reins.

"Nice to see you again, Grim. I see Tilly's still in fine form, eh?"

"Aye she is, Ulundil. Nice to see you again, too. Keep them fed and happy for us would you?" He tossed the man a smaller pouch that held gold in it.

"Oh aye, Grim. They'll be taken care of well. Thank you."

"Come on, Fjolnar. I'm looking forward to a nice warm fire." He laughed and walked with his friend over the bridge to the gates to Windhelm.

It hadn't really been that long since the last time he was here, but the enormity of the city always managed to get to him when he entered. After a second of taking it in, he walked through and looked around. Fjolnar motioned ahead of them and Grim shrugged. His friend knew where to go and who to talk to, so he would follow him. They passed Candlehearth Hall, the inn, and he realized they weren't going to be sitting by a fire anytime soon. He followed Fjolnar up a set of stairs and then through an archway with guards on either side. On the other side of the archway was a courtyard, then the palace. It was called the Palace of the Kings and it was where Ulfric ruled from. He hadn't ever actually been in the palace, so it was all new to him. He swallowed and continued to follow Fjolnar as they passed more guards and went into the palace. It was so ... big! He couldn't get over the architecture and open space the place had. Perhaps Ulfric was overcompensating a tad, but it worked for the man. He saw the throne sitting at the end of the hall and thought it was ostentatious of Ulfric, but said nothing. He did want to fight for the man, after all. Finally, he and Fjolnar entered a room off to the side and he realized it was a war room. Inside was a man wearing a bearskin. This was who Fjolnar went up to.

"Why I thought I'd never see ye again. Fjolnar, how are ye? How's married life treating ye?" the man asked.

"It's treating me very well, I'd say. I've got a young son and another babe on the way soon," Fjolnar answered with a smile and then shook the man's hand. "This is my wife's cousin, Grim Frost-Blood. He's come with me today because he wishes to join the cause."

"Is that so? Let me take a look at ye, boy." He instructed Grim to come forward, then stand. "I am Galmar Stone-Fist, Ulfric's right hand. It is through me that all recruits must go. Tell me, boy, why is it ye want to join the Stormcloaks?"

"I want Skyrim to be free to worship whichever Divines they wish to and not be told which are right and which are wrong. I want my family to be free to return home. I don't want to walk around in fear of what I might say to another."

"Very well. We shall see. Fjolnar, are ye rejoining us as well or did ye just come to bring the pup to us?"

"Oh, aye, I'm rejoining sir. You can't keep me down for long." He laughed about that, but it was a light laugh.

"All right. Since I do not know ye, even with Fjolnar's word, I have a task for ye, Grim."

"What sort of task, may I ask?" he asked Galmar.

"Just a test to see how much ye can take, the kind men use to measure themselves. Ye see?"

Galmar leaned against the map table, arms crossed as he watched him. His eyes took in everything they could about the man, including the way he stood opposite him.

"That's fine. I'm ready for whatever you have for me to do."

"That's what I like to hear, boy, let's just see if ye have the steel to back it up. Fjolnar, why don't ye go with the boy. Mind ye, don't do it for him, ye see? He needs to do it."

"Aye, sir. I'll keep Grim safe and bring him back in one piece." He clapped Grim on the back with a smile and shook his head. Galmar himself shook his head and chuckled before going on.

"I'm sending ye to Serpentstone Island, Grim. If ye survive, ye pass. If ye die, well, ye weren't going to be much use to me anyway."

He wasn't exactly sure he liked the way Galmar spoke about him dying, but he nodded and waited for the man to go on with his task giving. He was glad that at least he wouldn't be alone, Fjolnar would be with him. Not to help, but to keep him safe. It was something at least.

"Men have tested their mettle there for ages. Ye'll see a strange rock formation, I've been told it was built by the ancients. Now, for whatever reason, it seems that Ice Wraiths are attracted to the place, ye see? Yer task is to kill an Ice Wraith. Do that and I'll have all the proof I need."

"Aye, sir. I'll be back as soon as I can. Thank you." He nodded, not really sure on the protocol here, but since Galmar simply waved him away, he figured there really wasn't a protocol to follow, thus none to mess up.

He walked out of the war room and toward the entrance to the palace with Fjolnar beside him, smiling. They were being given a task to go on an adventure and he could do that. He had no idea what an Ice Wraith was, but he was sure he would find out soon enough. Once outside, he looked over at his friend.

"So, did you have to go through this, too?"

"Aye, every new recruit does it. Don't worry too much, most everyone lives." He laughed and then slapped him on the shoulder and continued past him, leaving a silent Grim behind him. He recovered soon enough and caught up with him, laughing.

Grim and Fjolnar rode at a trot most of the way and the entire trip to the island only took a total of four and a half hours, but the majority of the journey was crossing the ice flows to the island itself. It was dark by the time they reached Serpentstone Island, so they made camp and more importantly, a fire to dry themselves off by. He was no longer a stranger to the cold of Skyrim and could deal with it better than he could five years ago, but that didn't mean he liked swimming in frozen waters very much. It still chilled him to the bone and a fire was the only way to thaw him out. He wrapped the cloak tighter around his bulk and glared up at the ice and snow that rose above them as if it were the island's fault that they'd had to swim to it.

"Oh come on, Grim. It's nothing but a bit of water. It dries." Fjolnar grinned and then offered him half the fish he'd just taken off the fire. "Eat up. You're gonna need your strength tomorrow." Grim took the fish and chewed on it a little.

"What exactly is an Ice Wraith, Fjolnar? What is best to fight it with?"

"Well, it's a flying creature, I know that much. And it's made outta ice. Hits like a brick, too, so be careful of that. As for what to fight it with? I don't know, really. I used my sword, but it took me almost twenty minutes to kill the damned thing."

"So it's hard to hit it or just hard to kill?" he asked as he took another bite of his fish.

"It's different for everyone, Grim. I had a hard time hitting it at first, but then once I learned how it moved, it was easier for me to know where to hit it. Just took a while to kill it." Fjolnar shrugged and finished off his fish with a grunt, then leaned back against his saddle, pulling his own cloak around him. "Don't worry so much. You'll do fine."

"I wanna do well, Fjolnar. This means a lot to me. And I don't want to die. I'd really hate to be brought back by Iddra just to be killed again by her."

He laughed and finished off his own fish and poked the fire with a stick to make sure it would stay lit, then put another log on it before settling down to rest against his own saddle. He sighed as he looked up at the sky at the stars above. It was a clear night, which was good, they wouldn't have to worry about rain. Neither one of them thought to bring any canvas for a tent. Soon enough, his eyes were drifting and he let them close, falling into a restful sleep. He was awakened in the morning by Fjolnar and thanked him. After taking care of his morning ablutions, he sat down again with Fjolnar to eat breakfast of bread and cheese.

"So the plan is, I'll walk up to the top with you, Grim, but once we see the stones, you're on your own."

"That's fine, I guess. Any other information you can give me about this thing? Will there be more of them, or just one?"

"There's always just been one whenever someone's gone up there, so it should be the same for you. Oh, they're vulnerable to fire. Have you learned that fire magic from Quintus yet?"

"Good. I'd hate to find out I have to fight off a bunch of these things when I was prepared for one." He smiled, then thought about the fire magic. "I haven't quite figured it out yet. It only works half the time. I could try, I guess." He started to pack things away in the saddlebags before going to groom Matilda. He wanted her to be ready in case they had to hurry up and get out of there.

"Who knows, it might be just the thing to make it work right." Fjolnar smiled and got up to do the same with his horse.

He wasn't really worried about the Ice Wraith killing his best friend, but he did want him to do well and have Galmar be impressed. It would make him look good if Grim worked out because he brought him in. It could also work the other way if Grim didn't do well.

After they had saddled the horses and Grim was ready, they made the short trek up to the top of the island where the stones sat circled around at the edge of the opposite end. He thought he saw a cloud moving around the stones and Fjolnar told him that was the Ice Wraith. He took a deep breath and let it out, then walked toward the stones. Shield raised, sword ready, he prepared himself as much as he could. It seemed to sense him and came around a stone straight at him. Grim bared his teeth and clenched his jaw as he watched how the thing moved toward him. He had enough time to determine where it would go and swung his sword at it. He heard the scream it made as the steel made contact. He dodged away as he would as the wolf, then watched his "prey" again just in time to see it lunge at him once more. He thrust his shield out at it and struck the creature. While it was stunned, Grim steadied his hand and aimed at the thing, then chanted the Flames spell. Fire shot forth from his hand and hit the Ice Wraith squarely.

Grim heard the scream again and smiled, pulling the shield back in to protect his head as the creature attacked. He felt the cold as it struck his shield, his shoulders, and head. Luckily he had armor that covered those spots. With a quick jab, he struck the thing again. It took him a combination of dodging, striking with the sword, stunning with the shield, and hitting it with Flames, but he managed to kill the creature after eighteen minutes of effort. He stood over a pile of ice and snow on the ground, panting from the exertion, but he felt good. He felt alive, and he hadn't had to change into the Frost Wolf to feel this way. Fjolnar came up after he killed the Ice Wraith and smiled, patting him on the back.

"Well done, Grim! Your time was even better than mine." He reached down into the pile and came up with something in his hands. He handed it to Grim.

"The creature's teeth. You've earned them. Besides, Galmar's gonna wanna see them to know you killed it." He put the teeth into Grim's hand and then bent once again to the pile, coming up with a bottle in his hand.

"For whatever magical reason, these guys drop bottles when you kill them. Never used it myself, but I've been told it's their essence and you can use it on your weapons to imbue them with the cold power. Like I said, I've never used it, so I'm not sure how it works." He handed the bottle to Grim as well.

"Come on, let's head back before it gets too late. I'm looking forward to seeing my wife." He put his hand on Grim's shoulder, then walked away.

Grim nodded and then walked along with Fjolnar, looking at the Ice Wraith teeth and bottle he held. The bottle felt cold to the touch and he had to figure that was because it was the creature's essence inside. He would have to try it and see what happened when he used it on his sword the next time he had to fight something. Who knows, it might just give him the advantage he needed in a battle. He mounted up when they reached the horses and turned Matilda toward the water again. He wasn't looking forward to swimming across again, but was pleased to find that the ice flows had come together during the night and now formed a sort of ice bridge to the mainland across from the island.

"We don't have to swim, Fjolnar!" He grinned and urged the mare onward, eager to get back and prove himself to Galmar so that he could become an actual member of the Stormcloaks.

To know that he had beaten even Fjolnar's time at killing the Ice Wraith made him smile and he had to admit that he gloated a bit to his friend as they rode along the road back to Windhelm. They had started out before eleven in the morning, so it was early afternoon when they reached Windhelm. Leaving the horses at the stable with Ulundil once again, he thanked the man and walked into the city with Fjolnar. As they walked to the palace, Grim saw Hermir leaving the inn and waved at her. She waved back with a grin and hurried past to get back to the forge. He shrugged at Fjolnar.

"What? It's not like I could ignore her."

"Right." Fjolnar teased and walked on.

"Seriously, Fjolnar, you should just stop trying to set me up with every woman you see around here. If I ever decide to look for love again, it'll be my choice. Not yours and certainly not Iddra's."

"I have no control over your cousin, Grim." He laughed. "You should know that as well as I do. She does what she thinks is best, regardless of what I tell her."

"Aye, but you could distract her more often." He chuckled along with Fjolnar and then went into the great hall of the palace. He saw Ulfric sitting on the throne this time and brushed a few pieces of hay off his clothes. "I didn't think I would see Ulfric today."

"Sure, sure. Come on, we're not here to talk to Ulfric. We're here to speak with Galmar."

"Aye, I remember. I have the cold bottle to remind me of why I'm back here. Let's get on with it then." Grim let Fjolnar walk ahead of him into the war room where Galmar stood staring down at the map table.

The battle veteran looked up and couldn't believe what he was seeing. He smiled and shook his head, then motioned for them to come in and sit down.

"By the Divines, ye're alive! It appears that I owe Ulfric a drink." He chuckled about that and then leaned back on the table, looking at the pair. "To be honest, I didn't think we'd see ye again. I'll admit that I misjudged ye. Looks like ye are Stormcloak material after all."

"Thank you, sir. It wasn't easy, but I did finally get the Flames spell to work reliably." Grim thought about the man's words and tilted his head slightly. "You didn't send me to the island to die, did you?"

"Well, there ye go then. Something came out of it. Call it early training." Galmar laughed and shook his head.

"And no, I didn't send ye there to die. I wasn't so sure yer heart was in our cause, but since ye stand before me ye've proved me wrong. I told ye it was a test, but it was not just for yer abilities. It was also so I could see yer resolve." He pushed off the table. "Right, time to make this official then. Are ye ready to take the Oath, Grim Frost-Blood?"

"The Oath? What exactly is entailed in that?" Grim asked Galmar.

"Each recruit's gotta do it before they become one of us. Ye swear fealty to Ulfric Stormcloak, the future High King of Skyrim. Ye also pledge unswerving loyalty to yer fellow Stormcloaks, to Skyrim, and to her people."

Grim nodded as Galmar went on. He supposed that he could do all of that. It was simple enough. He believed that what Ulfric was doing would eventually free the people of Skyrim from Imperial rule, so there was no problem in swearing fealty to the man. Loyalty to other Stormcloaks? That's a no brainer. He wanted to count on them in a fight and for them to count on him in a fight. Loyalty is a big factor in that. Finally, loyalty to Skyrim and her people? He hadn't returned to Hammerfell. He had chosen to stay. Chosen to be a citizen of Skyrim, to fight for its freedom. He was loyal to it.

"Very well, is there anything else?" he asked Galmar.

"This Oath is necessary simply because killing an Imperial doesn't make ye a Stormcloak. Our goal isn't just to kill Imperials, here, it's to restore Skyrim to her glory and give her the king she deserves."

Grim looked at Fjolnar who was prepared to take the Oath without explanation, but then he'd taken it once before. It was probably nothing new there. He let out a slow breath and nodded at Galmar.

"All right. I accept. I'm ready to take the Oath."

"Ah, that's the spirit, boy! When ye sweat this Oath, ye become one of us. A hero of the people. A true son of Skyrim. A Stormcloak." He waited for Grim's nod before continuing. "Repeat after me."

"I do swear my blood and honor to the service of Ulfric Stormcloak." Galmar paused as both Grim and Fjolnar repeated the beginning of the oath.

"Jarl of Windhelm and true High King of Skyrim." Again, pausing so they could repeat.

"As Talos is my witness, may this oath bind me to death and beyond."

"Even to my lord as to my fellow brothers and sisters in arms."

"All hail the Stormcloaks, the true sons and daughters of Skyrim!" After they both repeated this final line, he walked over to a shelf and picked up a set of clothes.

"Now that makes ye both one of us. Just in time, too. Ye get to tag along on a little trip with me. Here." He handed the set of clothes to Fjolnar, then moved back to the shelf and got another set which he handed to Grim. "Ye're Stormcloaks now, ye should look the part."

Grim and Fjolnar each took the set of clothes and nodded, then looked at one another. They had the same question, but neither wanted to ask it just yet.

"What is it?" Galmar asked, seeing their silent exchange.

"Well, sir, before we tag along with you, we thought we might return home to Kynesgrove for the night to say goodbye to our families," Grim spoke up, knowing that asking was a risk.

"Ye're young. I'll give ye 'til morning to be ready to leave. I expect ye to be here bright and early tomorrow though."

"Thank you, sir. We'll be here. Thank you."

"Aye, now get yerself gone. Both of ye." Galmar waved them off, dismissing them.

Grim turned and walked away with the clothes he'd been given and once outside the war room, near the palace door, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. With a look at Fjolnar, he shrugged and went outside.

"Was it like that when you took the Oath the first time, Fjolnar?"

"No, it wasn't. Well, taking the Oath was, but I wasn't asked to go along anywhere with Galmar first thing. He must think highly of you."

"I'm not sure what to think about that." Grim laughed and shook his head, walking through the city toward the gates that would lead outside to the bridge and to the stables.

"If I were you, I would be proud of myself. Galmar is not the type to be impressed easily. He's almost as rough as that bearskin he wears." Fjolnar laughed and tossed a rock down off the bridge into the freezing water below.

Grim was silent then, thinking inwardly about what it meant to be impressive to the right hand of a King. Would that mean he would be put in more dangerous situations? Hopefully that didn't mean he would falter and let the man down. Shaking his head to clear his head of these thoughts, he stowed the Stormcloak outfit in the saddlebags and mounted on Matilda. He patted her softly and then turned her to the road. He wanted to see his daughter, to hold her and hug her. He didn't know what this little trip would be and he had no idea when he would be back. He hoped it wouldn't be all that long. Somehow, he had the sense that it wouldn't just be a quick jaunt away from Windhelm. Not during war time at least. It didn't take them long to reach home, but he still took care of Tilly before heading into the inn to find Iddra and the children.

A little while later, Grim and Lifa left the inn and went back to their house where he sat with his daughter and smiled. He read her a bedtime story, sat with her in her room until she fell asleep and kissed her forehead before leaving the room. He had the need to get out for a bit and went outside. He made sure he was alone and closed his eyes. He slowly thought about the wolf and when he opened his eyes once more, he had furry paws where once he'd had hands and feet. Then he shook his himself with a snort and stretched. A quick howl and he disappeared into the forest. The great white wolf that was like a ghost to many hunters that had thought to capture him was once again king of his own kingdom in the forest. The Frost Wolf had returned.

Something told Grim that he wouldn't be able to change and run through the woods like this when he was a soldier in the army. There would be too many people around for that. He didn't need anyone finding out his secret and trying to kill him. He ran for several hours. He caught a deer and ate most of it before he made his way back to the house, changed and went inside to sleep. His mind was still full of the way it felt to run as the wolf and he dreamed pleasantly that night. In the morning, he dressed in his new Stormcloak uniform and made sure his weapons and supplies were prepared. Then he went and spent the last hour before leaving with Lifa, Iddra, Einarr, and Fjolnar at the inn.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Grim had a lot to think about on his ride back to Windhelm with Fjolnar. They would be going with Galmar on a trip, to do what he didn't know yet, but he prayed to Talos that they would make it home again in one piece. He had a little girl to raise, even if he was spending a lot of his time riding back and forth to Windhelm as of late. Matilda tossed her head as they neared the stable and he wondered why. She slowed and he was surprised, but when he looked up he understood. Argonians. During the last five years he had figured out that Tilly had a serious distaste for anything Argonian. If it was scaly and hissed, she wanted to kill it. He was lucky that she knew better than to rush an opponent while he was mounted. The two Argonian males didn't stay long, just spoke with Ulundil and then turned back toward the docks. Only once they were out of sight did he dismount from the mare and hand her reins to the man.

"Tis a good thing she is so well trained, no?" he asked Ulundil who nodded, smiling.

"Yes, I would have hated to lose friends over something like that." He shrugged. "Oh well, it can't be helped. I'll have your horses ready when Galmar is ready to leave." He led the two horses away to the stables.

"How do you like that? The man apparently knows we're going with Galmar. I wonder who else knows."

"Come now, Grim. I'm sure there's gossip among the townsfolk. Surely even Galmar couldn't arrange a trek without attracting attention. Right?"

"Aye, I suppose you're right. I just don't like it."

"Don't worry about it, Grim. Let's go. Best not to keep Galmar waiting."

The pair walked across the bridge and through the gates, wasting little time in entering the palace. Immediately Grim could sense, and hear, the tension in the air. He and Fjolnar walked carefully down the great hall. The voices, unfortunately, were coming from the room they needed to enter. The war room.

"I'd like to hear again why you think we should waste our time and resources to hunt down this relic of legend? How do we know it even exists?"

"Ye know very well that not all the Jarls support ye. They're upset."

"Aye, well, damn the Jarls!" Grim and Fjolnar shifted in place at the doorway, then were still. They knew better than to interrupt.

"They're demanding the Moot," Galmar said in an even voice.

"Damn the Moot, too!" Ulfric paused and started walking to the doorway, Grim and Fjolnar quickly moved aside. "Why should we risk letting those milk-drinkers put Torygg's woman on the throne? Hmm?" He sat down on his throne and looked at Galmar who had followed him. "You know as well as I that she'd just hand Skyrim over to the elves on a silver platter."

"Aye, well, all the more reason for ye to find the crown. It would legitimize yer claim to the throne."

"A crown doesn't make a King, Galmar."

"No, but this one..."

"If it even exists," interrupted Ulfric with a lift of his brow.

"Aye, it exists! If ye think about it, it'll be the symbol of the righteousness of our cause. The Jagged Crown! It heralds back to a time before jarls and moots. Back to a time when a king was a king because his enemies fell before him, and his people rose because they loved him. Skyrim is in need of that king now. Ye will be that king, Ulfric. Ye must be!"

At this, Ulfric seemed to pause and actually consider all that Galmar had said. Perhaps the man spoke the truth about it and if he knew where it was, and he got it before Tullius did... Well, the war just might turn in his favor after all.

"You're certain that you've found it, Galmar?" His eyes finally found Grim and Fjolnar standing near the war room and nodded.

"Have I ever been false with ye, Ulfric?"

"Fine. I'll send the Unbloodeds with you then." Ulfric motioned for the two men to approach. He then smiled at them both. "Fancy a crawl through a moldering dungeon to see if you can't stir up Galmar's Jagged Crown?" he asked them both, then leaned back against his throne.

"It'll be there, Ulfric. Ye'll see," Galmar said as Ulfric spoke to the newest recruits to the army. He hadn't even seen that they were there until now. Well, no matter, they were coming with him.

Grim looked at Fjolnar, who looked at Grim in turn, and the two of them finally understood what "little trip" they would be going on with Galmar. Each thought about it before looking back at their King and nodding. Grim was the first to speak, however.

"Aye. It would be an honor to do this for you, my Jarl."

"Aye, sir. You got my agreement," Fjolnar said.

"Good, it's settled. Go with Galmar now and make arrangements." Dismissed, the three men went into the war room to discuss what they were about to embark on. An hour later, they were nearly ready to leave.

"Could you tell me again, sir, where this trip is taking us and what the artifact is?" asked Grim.

"Aye. I've found the final resting place of the Jagged Crown. Can ye believe it?" Grim merely shrugged in answer because he didn't know about the Jagged Crown legend, but from what Galmar had been speaking to Ulfric about, it seemed important enough. Galmar went on. "Well, I'm almost certain I have."

"And where is that, sir?" Fjolnar asked as he checked his sword and then slid it back into its scabbard.

"We're heading to Korvanjund." Fjolnar knew of the place, but Grim was clueless. He supposed that he would find out more along the way. "If old King Borgas is indeed buried there, we're bound to run into trouble of some kind. I've already dispatched some of yer fellow Stormcloaks to assemble outside the tomb." He handed them each a rough map and clapped them on the backs. "I'll meet ye there as soon as I'm finished up here."

Grim took the map and looked it over. It was hand drawn, as most maps were, but you could tell that the person who made the map wasn't a cartographer. He wondered if Fjolnar knew where it was. He supposed he'd find out soon enough.

"Sir, the artifact?" he inquired.

"Have ye not heard the ancient verse?

" _Maw unleashing razor snow,_

 _Of dragons from the blue brought down,_

 _Births the walking winter's woe,_

 _The High King in his Jagged Crown._

"It goes way back to King Harald's time or even before, the High King always wore the Jagged Crown."

Grim looked at Fjolnar who shrugged and looked back at Galmar. Grim returned his gaze to his commander as well, but wondered if they weren't on a wild goose chase as Ulfric thought.

"It was the symbol of his might and power, ye see? For the crown is made from the bones and teeth of ancient dragons, and is said to contain a portion of the power of every king that has worn it. Even if it were not true, who would dare deny Ulfric's claim when the legendary Jagged Crown sits upon his brow, eh?" Galmar smiled, showing his teeth in something that looked like a bear baring its teeth.

"Aye, but how do you know it's located in Korvanjund, sir?" Grim asked him.

"It's true. The location of the crown was lost with King Borgas after the Great Hunt killed him while he was off on his damned Alessian campaigns." Galmar looked at the map once more. "The legend holds that his body was secretly returned to Skyrim and buried with the crown. It's exact whereabouts lost in the following Wars of Succession." He paused a moment and glanced at both Grim and Fjolnar before continuing. "Through sources that shall remain nameless, I've tracked down what I believe to be the final resting place of King Borgas. Korvanjund. If the crown exists, that's where it will be."

"I see. Well, even if it is there, sir, it seems that it might be a bit dangerous. Aren't you worried about losing men?"

"Aye. The Great Hunt killed King Borgas. Gods only know with what profane arts those elves cursed his remains and, curses notwithstanding, the tombs of kings are always full of traps to ward off grave robbers, are they not?"

"That does seem to hold true, sir."

"Tis nothing that a band of Stormcloaks can't handle, I assure ye."

"Very well. We'll be off to Korvanjund then."

"Don't wait around for me. I bet I'll beat ye there even though ye start first."

"I'll take that bet, sir. We'll see you there," Grim shook Galmar's hand and then turned toward the door with Fjolnar and the two walked out of the war room. Ulfric was not in the great hall any longer and it seemed even emptier than normal. With ease they left the palace and made their way back to the stables to get their mounts.

"Do you know where this place is, Fjolnar? The map wasn't really a good one and I've never heard of the place."

"Aye, Grim. I know where it is. Never actually been in it, but I know of the place. We'll get there. Don't you worry."

After getting on the road, it only took them about two hours to reach the tomb. Korvanjund. The place was impressive and not for the first time Grim had to applaud the abilities of the ancients to build their temples sturdily. There were many that were still standing around the country of Skyrim. That was a test of builders who knew what they were doing. He hadn't seen the whole place yet because as they came up to the temple, Galmar was there. How the man got there before them he didn't know. They hadn't stopped anywhere and they had left before him. Perhaps the man knew a shortcut and had used it. Either way, he'd lost the bet and would have to pay for it later. He and Fjolnar dismounted and walked up to the group. Galmar was talking with a soldier as they approached.

"What's the situation?" Grim shook his head because if Galmar was asking that now, he'd only just gotten there. Oh well.

"It's as cold as the inside of an Ice Wraith." Galmar laughed and nodded at the solder, who went on. "That, and there are some Imperials camped out near the entrance, staying nice and warm with their fires." The man sneered and glanced in the direction of the temple, though you couldn't see it over the rise of the hill.

"Imperials? Well, if they're staying comfortable, let's slip in and send them to their graves that way, eh?" Galmar smiled again and then looked over at Grim and Fjolnar seeing that they had finally arrived. "Ah, I told ye I'd be here before ye." He put his hand on Grim's shoulder. "We'll settle our bet later. For now, are ye ready to spill some Imperial blood for Skyrim? The bastards don't seem to know we're here yet."

"Aye!" Grim said as he drew his sword and readied his shield, making sure he was indeed ready. Fjolnar did the same thing beside him.

"That's what I like to hear." Galmar nodded at the pair and then turned to the men that stood around him. He raised his arms and quieted them all. "Listen up! Those Imperials aren't here by coincidence. Their spies must have discovered that we know about the Crown and are determined to keep us from getting it, but they won't stand in our way!"

Galmar paused for a moment and looked at the group of men he had with him, Grim and Fjolnar included. Some of them were new recruits, some were veterans, but they were all Stormcloaks. He saw a few faces that he remembered had defected from the Legion to their side of things. He drew out his large axe and sighed softly.

"I know that some of ye are ex-Legion and may even know some of the men on the other side, but ye must remember this. They're the enemy now and they'll not hesitate to kill ye. Keep yer wits about ye and watch yer shield-brother's back." He stopped for a moment to make sure the point was made before continuing. "Ulfric Stormcloak is counting on us to bring him back that crown and that's exactly what we're gonna do." That said, Galmar then turned and started to advance at a quick pace up the small hill toward the temple. He looked back only once and then focused ahead of him.

"Follow me, quickly and quietly now. I want their guts on the ground before they even know we're here."

Grim glanced at Fjolnar and then followed Galmar and the rest of the Stormcloaks up the hill and over it. The first man he met in Imperial armor he swung his sword at and caught him in the upper arm, then he dodged out of the way and thrust in with the sword, piercing the man's chest with a growl. He then stepped back, withdrew his sword, and continued the advance. Each time he met a soldier, he fought him and brought him down. He didn't get through unscathed himself. He'd gotten a cut on his arm or chest here and there, but thanks to his use of the healing magic that he had learned, he didn't drop to the ground like the Imperials did. When the group of men reached the entrance to the temple, all the Imperials were dead and all Stormcloaks accounted for. Galmar stood at the door and raised his arms again, quieting everyone.

"That's how I like it. Short and bloody. They never knew what hit them, but don't make the mistake of underestimating the Legion. Plenty of them are Nords, same as us. We had the advantage of surprise this time, but things won't be so easy from here on out." Galmar looked over the men quickly, taking an inventory of who was bloodied, who wasn't, and just how worked up they all were. He grinned.

"Enough talk, let's go kill some more Imperials."

Galmar turned back to the door and opened it, sneaking inside with his axe drawn and ready. The rest of the men followed and before long they were all inside. Grim looked around and couldn't help but be impressed about the inside as well. However, right now he needed to focus on the issue at hand and that was taking out Imperials. Said Imperials were currently patrolling down a staircase and so they men crouched and stayed hidden and quiet. Galmar whispered to them, soft, but still loud enough for them to hear him.

"Just pick a man and put him down. We attack on my signal. Time to show what ye're really made of." There was a pregnant pause as all of the soldiers waited for his signal. "For Skyrim!" Galmar shouted and charged down the stairs toward the Imperials.

The rest of the men followed quickly. Grim, too, went with them and attacked the first Imperial to come before him. It wasn't a long "battle" or really a battle at all. They'd had a bit of surprise that time, too, and when it was all said and done, they were still alive and the Imperials weren't. As they started to proceed further into the temple, Galmar stopped and held up a hand.

"Gretta, Engar, stay and guard the entrance. We don't want any Imperial reinforcements taking us by surprise." Gretta and Engar disengaged and went back to the entrance to do as the commander said and keep watch. "The rest of you lot are with me," Galmar said and then rushed on further.

Grim hung back a little, not as eager to do the killing as some of the other soldiers that were now his brothers and sisters in arms. Fjolnar, even, went forth with the men. It wasn't that he couldn't kill, because he could. It was more that he didn't want to. Not really. He supposed that came from his upbringing. His mother had maybe coddled him a little too much, but it couldn't be helped now. What was done was done and there was no changing that. What he could do, though, was keep his shield-mates safe from harm. After a short battle in the next room, they stopped once more. Galmar turned to one of the soldiers and spoke to him.

"I don't like the looks of this. Perfect spot for an ambush." He glanced around again. "Ten to one they're on the other side just waiting for us." He sighed.

"But there ain't any other way through," the soldier said.

"Well if ye're sure about that then by my guest and stroll on in there. We'll stay here and watch yer back." He chuckled at the man's face. "Not so sure? Well, perhaps we should take a moment and look around, eh?" Galmar took his own advice and looked around, but then his gaze settled on Grim. "Ye there, Unblooded, see if ye can find another way in through. We'll charge in to help once we hear the sound of fighting."

Grim wasn't so sure about this, but he had to trust Galmar. The man was his commander. He wouldn't willingly send him to die, would he? He nodded and then began to look around for some way around the door in front of them. He discovered a small staircase almost hidden. Following the trail, he made his way silently upward and around until he came out above the room where the Stormcloaks waited. He looked over to the other side and saw the Imperials. They were indeed sitting and waiting for them to open the door. He frowned, then found there was a staircase that led down to the other side. He took it and sneaked up behind one of the Imperials and quickly used his sword to cut the man's throat. The gurgle alerted the others and they let out shouts to him. At that, the Stormcloaks rushed in and began to fight with them. In the end, Grim only had to kill that one Imperial soldier. He swallowed and then looked over at Fjolnar when he came over to him.

"I'm not sure I'm cut out for this, Fjolnar. It's not as easy to kill a man, even knowing that he's my enemy."

"Aye, but you'll get used to it, Grim. You gotta put it in the back of your mind and just tell yourself that they're just an Imperial. Doing the bidding of a rotten Empire. That's all. Now, let's go before we're left behind."

Grim sighed and followed, still not sure what to think about all this, but figuring that he would have to give himself more than just a few hours to get used to the idea. Probably more like days. Or weeks even. He followed the rest of them and prepared to meet more Imperials.

The group of Stormcloaks made it through the entire temple with just two casualties. The place was not only full of Imperials, all of which were now deceased, but there were also a load of walking dead, draugr, to contend with. They were easily dispatched, for the most part, but that didn't make it any easier. They were someone's ancestors at one time and Grim had to come to grips with that idea as well. He managed to do so, by the end. They had reached a door and it looked like the Imperial soldiers couldn't get past it. As Grim stared at the door, it seemed to become clearer what was intended. He looked around the ground at the dead Imperials' feet and found a heavy, black claw contraption. He picked it up and turned it over. It was here that he noticed the symbols on the claw and he glanced at the door in front of him.

"Galmar! This claw, it has pictures on it. If you look here, the same pictures are seen here, but in a different order. Perhaps it has something to do with it? Maybe it opens the door if it's in the right combination," Grim suggested, letting his commander look at the claw.

"Looks like it came from a statue. Who knows? Let's see..." He moved his hands along the door where the pictures were and was surprised when it moved. "Ah, crafty old codgers they were. Ye're right. There's a combination to it. I think it's this here. Ye see how there are three pictures on the door? There are three on the claw as well. Perhaps if we put the top picture the same as the claw, and so on, it'll work."

Grim could see what Galmar was saying and nodded. Fjolnar came over to help and between the three of them, they had the door pictures in the same order as the claw. Fjolnar pointed out the three holes in the middle that looked to be just the right size for the claws to go into. Grim shrugged and put the black claw in place and pushed. He heard a 'click' and then the door began to move. He stepped back with the others, surprised.

"Great work, Unblooded. Now, let's get moving and see if we can find the crown." Galmar put his hand on Grim's back for a moment and then walked onward. The rest of the Stormcloaks followed. Grim and Fjolnar shrugged at one another and followed them, swords drawn and ready.

A few more encounters with draugr and another room with an iron portcullis they had to figure out how to open and they ended up in a large chamber. In the middle were several chairs and in one of them sat a corpse wearing a crown. One of the men went closer to investigate and called out that he thought it was the crown Galmar was searching for. Before anyone could do anything, though, two sarcophagi burst open and draugr attacked them. While Grim was helping a brother Stormcloak out with one of the draugr, he noticed out the corner of his eye the figure on the chair rose and stepped into the fight. Fjolnar went up with Galmar and they started to attack the thing. Grim focused on what he was doing and brought the draugr down, then went to see if help was needed elsewhere. By then Galmar had delivered the fatal blow and all was quiet.

"Here, Unblooded. I need ye and Fjolnar to run back to Windhelm. See to it that Ulfric gets that crown. Tell him he owes me a drink." He gave a short wink and then chuckled before turning back to the group of soldiers. "We'll catch up later. Ride like the wind ye two."

Grim looked at the crown in his hands and swallowed. It was a big responsibility, but at least he could get out of this tomb. Nodding to Fjolnar, they found a staircase that one of the other men said lead out, they believed, and so the pair went up and left the group behind. It did, indeed, lead out and soon Grim and Fjolnar were on their way to Windhelm. Grim's mind wandered to the crown and just what it would mean for Ulfric, for the Stormcloak cause, for Skyrim. Would the rest of the country accept that he was High King now that he had the crown? If what Galmar had said was true, it would. Could it really be that easy to end the war? He could only hope, but something deep down in his gut said that this wouldn't be the end. There was more, much more, to come.

The trip back to Windhelm was uneventful and Grim brought the crown into the palace to present to Ulfric, Fjolnar at his side. He trusted that his friend would let him know if he was doing something wrong in the manner of greeting the Jarl, so he went up to Ulfric and stood until the man acknowledged them.

"Here is the Jagged Crown, sire. Just as Galmar said it would be. He said you owe him a drink." Grim handed it to Ulfric who took it and looked it over, shaking his head.

"Aye, that I do. It really does exist." He paused a moment and then sat on his throne once more. "You did such a good job with this that I'm giving you both another task. I am in need of a couple people to help in getting past the first line of Imperials and allow my troops to get through. I get the feeling that the two of you could manage this position quite well. The less I send in beforehand, the better." He handed Fjolnar a piece of parchment. "Go there and speak with the commander. He will fill you in on the first mission. Good luck and may Talos guide you."

Fjolnar nodded, bowed, and turned to leave. Grim copied and followed his friend outside. The note was handed to him and he looked it over.

"The commander is Bjorn Storm-Giver? I know him."

"Do you now? How so, Grim?"

"I helped him out when his company got ambushed by Imperial soldiers at Darkwater Crossing. I wasn't even sure the man still lived, but I'm glad to see that he does." He smiled and then walked with Fjolnar toward the stables.

"A good commander then?" Fjolnar asked.

"Aye, as good a commander as I've seen so far. He lost one man during that fight, but the Imperials lost five. I'd say that's pretty good, wouldn't you?"

"Aye, I would. Can't wait to meet him. Come on, let's get home. I want to see my wife before we leave to parts unknown." He chuckled, but the truth was that he missed Iddra and his son, and he was worried about the second baby. Sure, Iddra had birthed Einarr without much trouble, but that didn't mean this one would be easy, too. Things could go wrong at any time. He didn't want that to happen.

"All right, let's go. I miss Lifa anyway." Grim mounted up on Tilly and urged her forward toward Kynesgrove.

"Papa!" Lifa called out when she saw him riding up to the house on Matilda and he grinned, dismounting. He knelt to the ground in time to enfold her in his arms and hug her. He sighed and closed his eyes, just enjoying the feeling of her hands holding him around the neck so tight. He'd never thought coming home would feel this way, but to see his five year old daughter running toward him like that, so happy to see him, he just couldn't help it. Without a mother to look out for her, he supposed she sort of just ran around wild. Iddra tried to do what she could for Lifa, but she was a very strong willed little girl, something she got from him no doubt, and didn't like doing what others told her to do. If it was made to seem like her idea, it worked out, but if not... Well, let's just say she's independent.

"I missed you, little one. Were you good for your Auntie Iddra?" he asked softly, setting her back on the ground again and taking her hand in his own. He led Matilda with the other hand.

"Of course, Papa. Auntie's not feeling so good right now though." Grim looked over at Fjolnar who immediately kicked his gelding into a faster pace and ran up to the inn, dismounted and was inside as quick as could be.

"Perhaps next time tell Uncle Fjolnar that first, all right?" She nodded and Grim sighed, letting go of Lifa's hand so he could unsaddle Matilda and Larth, Fjolnar's horse. Then he busied himself with teaching his daughter how to groom the horses and feed them. "Now, they need us to give them good food because they can't forage like wild horses. Tilly here loves to eat grain and it's good for her, especially in cold weather."

"Why, Papa?"

"Well, because the grain gives her energy which in turn helps keep her warm."

"Why, Papa?"

"Because it does. Come on, let's go in and see what's up with Auntie Iddra."

"Do I hafta?"

"Yes, you do. Why, is there someplace else you'd rather be?" Lifa kicked at a bit of snow and sighed, arms crossing in front of her.

"Aye! I wanna go runnin' in the woods!"

Grim rolled his eyes at her outburst and shook his head. She would live in the woods if he let her. That thought made him smile and he squeezed her shoulder softly.

"Very well, but don't stay out too late. Be back before it gets dark."

"Thank you, Papa!" She kissed his cheek and then ran off to disappear in the forest. Grim took the steps up to the inn and went inside to check on his cousin and her family. He hoped nothing was terribly wrong with her.

"Grim! There you are, man." Fjolnar came up to him, a look on his face that showed his worry.

"What's wrong, Fjolnar? Is it Iddra?"

"She's fine, Grim. Grumpy as ever. The babe is kickin up a storm in her belly, that's all." Fjolnar smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. Grim knew he wasn't being entirely truthful.

"Fjolnar, you can tell me. I know something's up."

"Ah, you know me too well now, Grim. Aye, your cousin thinks the babe is comin early. I assured her that it wasn't, but you know how she is."

"Aye, I do. I'll go talk to her."

"Thanks, Grim. Maybe she'll listen to you." He then left Grim and went to see what Einarr was busy with.

Grim left the main room of the inn and went into the living quarters where Iddra was laying in bed. He could tell that she had been crying and he sighed. Iddra was one of the toughest women he knew and for her to be laying there crying was a big deal. He walked up to the bed and then sat down next to Iddra. He took her hand in his and squeezed it.

"Come on, cousin. You know the babe better than all of us. What does it feel like?" Iddra didn't look at him right away, but closed her eyes. Grim watched a tear fall down her face and he frowned. Finally, she spoke to him.

"You wouldn't understand, Grim," she said softly, still staring at the wall.

"I might, if you'd explain it to me, Iddra."

His cousin let out a slow sigh and then finally turned her head to look at him.

"It feels as if the child wants to be born, Grim. I know what it feels like, you know? Only... Well, my water hasn't broken and I don't feel like pushing."

"Well, there you go then. Perhaps the babe is just re-positioning itself? Mama always said it felt like I was rolling around in there."

"Perhaps. Grim, Fjolnar told me about the work you are to do for Ulfric. I don't want to let him go. I'm afraid I'll not see him again."

"Don't worry, Iddra. We are very good about watching each other's backs. I won't let anything happen to him." He smiled at his cousin and kissed her forehead. "Now, you must let your husband coddle you tonight. He is worried sick about you and the babe."

"All right, Grim." She suddenly felt very tired. "How did you get so good at giving advice?" she asked him.

"I'm not really sure, cousin. I suppose it's just from years of doing it." He gave her a small wink and saw how tired she was so he said his good nights and took his leave, heading back outside to make sure his daughter had returned home.

It was starting to get dark. He stepped into his home and paused a moment to let his eyes adjust to the dark so that he could find his way through to light a candle. He did so and looked around. Apparently his daughter had not returned yet. Oh, her backside would be warmed when he found her. That was for sure. He went through nighttime preparations before letting his temper get a hold of him. He started the fire, lit a few lanterns, put a roast on the fire. Then he shook his head and went outside. He would find her, but it would be quicker as the wolf. Moving into the forest and making sure no one was around, he closed his eyes and transformed into the white wolf once more. His muzzle tilted upward to the sky and he sniffed the air. Easily he picked out Lifa's scent and followed it, padding silently through the forest with eyes that had much better night vision that he had normally.

He stood still when he heard footsteps in case it was a hunter and was surprised to see his daughter. She wasn't alone, either. With her was the very same creature he had seen five years previous. Talos. Ears followed them just as much as his eyes did, but he could tell that he hadn't fooled Talos one bit. He stepped forth and appeared before his daughter. Lifa stopped walking and stared, surprised to see another huge wolf standing there.

"Hello woofie." She giggled, leaning against the black wolf. The wolf lowered its head and nuzzled her hair lightly. Grim wasn't sure what to think about this, but he was sure to find out. His blue eyes watched his daughter, though he said nothing so that he wouldn't give away who or what he was. He sat down, though, and watched them.

"Black Woofie," she started, realizing she had to clarify now, "and me were gonna go home. White Woofie wanna come, too?"

Talos lifted his head now and stared at Grim, then started to howl. It sent chills down Grim's spine and he felt the urge to return the call. He lifted his own muzzle to the air and let out a howl in answer. Lifa was amazed at the two wolves, but she merely smiled wider and clapped her hands before holding onto Talos' fur and walking alongside him. Grim waited for them to pass him and fell into line behind the two. He had so many questions running through his head at the moment. The first of which was why was Talos back? The second, why was he walking in the woods with his daughter? Those were just the couple that were on the tip of his tongue to ask, if he could have. They soon reached the edge of the trees and stopped. Lifa threw her tiny arms around Talos and hugged him, burying her face into his black fur, then smiled and stepped back. Next she came up to him and did the same, hugging him tightly as only a child could, and then stepping away again.

"You two play nice together now. I'll be back tomorrow woofies!" She toddled off and made for home. Grim was glad for that and once she was safe inside, he turned to Talos and tilted his head.

"Is something wrong?" he whispered.

"I came because I noticed you joined Ulfric's cause."

"Aye, I did. What were you doing with Lifa? How long has this been going on?"

"Easy there, Helgrim Frost-Blood. I was merely keeping the girl safe. She was lost in the wood and knowing that you are such a devout follower, I knew you would not like to find her lifeless cold body in the morning. I helped her get home. She has your eyes."

"I've warned her time and time again not to go too far into the forest, but she doesn't listen to me." He sighed, blue eyes looking back toward his house. "I appreciate you keeping her safe and bringing her home. Thank you."

"You are welcome. I came also to warn you. Do not trust so openly, Frost-Blood. There are tough times coming, so you must remain on your guard. Keep your daughter safe." He turned to leave, yellow eyes almost glowing. "It is not easy keeping this secret, I know, but know this Frost-Blood. I am watching over you. You are important to me."

Grim turned to look back at Talos only to find him gone and he sighed. The beast could disappear into thin air. There were times that would be useful to be able to do. He shook his head and then transformed back into his regular body once more and headed down to the house to have a serious talk with his daughter about going too far into the woods. When he entered the house, however, she had already washed and was sitting in a chair, wrapped in a skin, fast asleep. Grim sighed and watched her sleep, then went to the fire to check on the roast. He would let her sleep a bit before waking her to eat. Then they would talk. It was dangerous if she went too far, as she had realized that night he hoped. But then, there was Talos stepping in to help her get home. Something told him that it wasn't the last time he would see him and that thought made him wonder just what was coming.

The next morning, Grim sat down with his daughter and had a talk with her. As much as a person can have a talk with a five year old, that is. He brought her out to the horse pen and put her on Matilda's back, then leaned against Tilly's shoulder. His eyes lifted to watch Lifa and once more he felt the panic with the thought that he might lose her. Of course Talos knew about her, he prayed to him about her all the time. Each time he went to care for the shrine, he would send another message asking that his daughter stay safe. Apparently Talos had been listening and decided to help him out. He was grateful for that, but now he had to speak with Lifa about the dangers of running off like she had.

"Lifa, do you understand why I was so worried last night?"

"Aye, Papa. You couldn' find me."

"I told you to be back before it got dark. Why weren't you?"

"You won' believe me, Papa." She pouted

"Try me, darling girl."

"Well... I was walkin along and b'fore I knew it, I'd taken a turn and got lost." She bit her bottom lip and waited. Grim sighed after running a hand through his hair and shook his head.

"I should tan your hide for what you did, Lifa, but I understand you didn't do it on purpose. Don't do it again. All right?"

"All 'ight, Papa."

"You can ride Tilly for a bit, but careful when getting down and stay in the pen." Grim kissed her cheek and left them together in the pen. He headed over to the inn to check on Iddra.

The wind picked up and he stood on the porch, looking out at the village. He hadn't really had much to do with the miners lately. Roggi worked when he wasn't drinking. Kayl, Sareth, Vleryn, and Toryk had stayed on and continued working for Ganna and Gemma. It even seemed that Gemma's attitude had improved since they'd been working there. She had actually taken the initiative and come up to Grim once or twice since and started a conversation. She was a nice person, once you got past the rough exterior. He could see the miners headed down to work after a break. He shook his head and turned to go into the inn. He saw Iddra moving around the dining room and he frowned.

"You should be resting, cousin."

"Oh, Grim. It's all right. Honestly, between you and Fjolnar I think I'm quite taken care of." She grinned and then moved around the tables, wiping and clearing dishes. "I can handle it."

"Last night you were crying and thinking that you were dying. Now you think you can handle taking care of the inn?"

"Last night I was emotional, Grim." She stopped and looked at him, hand on her hip. "Today, I've had time to reflect and know that I'm not dying. It's just that it's getting close and, well, Fjolnar wasn't here. So I worried."

"All right, Iddra. I'll step back, but if you ever need help, just say something to someone. There are so many people here now that can help. You're not alone anymore." He hugged her lightly and then walked to the back, the living quarters, and found Fjolnar.

"Looks like your wife is feeling better, man. Are we ready to head out or did you want to wait a day or two?"

"Thank you, Grim. I want to wait, but I suppose we should probably leave today. Don't want Ulfric to lose faith in us, eh?"

"Aye. I'll go and get the horses ready then. I have some thoughts on how to go about our mission. We can discuss it on the road."

Grim left his friend and went back outside, spotting his daughter still astride Matilda. The mare tossed her head a little when Lifa pulled a bit too hard on her mane, but otherwise was very gentle with her. He couldn't have asked for a better horse when he'd gone to purchase one. She was definitely a gift from Talos, he had to admit. She had saved his life more times than he could count and he had even managed to save her life a couple times as well. They worked well as partners.

"Come on, Lifa. Time to get off now. Papa's gotta get Tilly and Larth ready to go."

Lifa frowned and stopped the mare, then patted her neck and gave her a hug before sliding down to the ground. She went to her father and hugged him hard.

"I don' want you to go, Papa."

"I know you don't, sweetheart, but I've got work to do. I'll be home very soon."

"Okay."

"Remember what I said about the woods. Be very careful and stay close to home and don't stay out after dark. You never know what's out there." Grim picked her up and held her. "Besides, you need to help keep Auntie safe and the babe. Can you do that?"

"Aye, Papa. I can do that! I'm better than Einarr is at that!" she said proudly, grinning.

"Careful not to get too caught up in pride, Lifa. It can be a flaw and you don't want that, right?"

"No, I don'. I'll be careful, Papa."

"Good lass, now run along and see if Auntie needs help." He set her down and watched her run off to the inn and go inside. He then settled to grooming the horses and saddling them up. By the time he had gotten the horses tacked up and ready, Fjolnar was bringing their gear out of the inn. He nodded and led both horses out of the pen and handed the reins of Larth to Fjolnar.

"So Bjorn is located outside Fort Greymoor? That's near Whiterun, is it not?"

"Aye, so we will probably be best just taking the road there. There's not a real rush to get there, so we can just ride normally," Fjolnar said.

"Right. Is everything all set with Iddra and Einarr? I sent Lifa in there to help out. We'll see how long that lasts." He laughed softly.

"Aye. My bet is not very long." Fjolnar mounted up and turned Larth onto the road.

"I would be inclined to say you're right." Grim smiled and mounted up as well, turning Matilda as well, urging her forward at a trot.

He looked back and saw Iddra with the two children on the porch waving. He waved back and Fjolnar did, too. Then they settled into the task at hand, that of getting to Fort Greymoor for their mission.

As they rode Grim and Fjolnar talked about the politics of the war. What it would mean if they lost and what it would mean if they won. If the Stormcloaks won the war, the Empire would no longer have power in Skyrim and they would be free to worship Talos or any other of the Divines they wanted to. It would also mean that Ulfric would undoubtedly be named the High King and rule over all of Skyrim. Grim had to wonder if they would get anything since they fought with Ulfric, not against him. Regardless of that, to be away from war, even for a time, would be a help to the people of Skyrim. If they lost, though, he had a feeling that life would be very hard for them indeed. Perhaps unbearable even. For those that fought against the Empire would most likely be thought of as traitors and watched, if not imprisoned and tortured. No one had a very good thought about the Imperials. Grim himself had only the knowledge that they would imprison people first and ask questions later, and that only from the small handful of people that he had experienced. No, they had to win this war or life would be much harder than it was currently.

"Tell me, Fjolnar, when you were in the army before, did you get assignments from Ulfric himself?"

"No, not really. They were almost always from the commanders, but they had always gotten them from Ulfric, so I didn't think anything of it. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was just wondering because we got this assignment from Ulfric. What is so different that he didn't just send us to Fort Greymoor and have Bjorn give us the orders?"

"I don't know, Grim. Perhaps it is just that Ulfric decided that we were trustworthy enough to be given the orders right then. What makes a commander worthy enough?"

"Do you think maybe he wants us to be commanders? That could explain why he'd given us the orders. As a sort of test, you know?"

"Aye, perhaps. Come on, let's move a bit faster. I'd like to get there before dark. It gets cold out here and I'm not looking forward to camping outside again." He laughed and clapped Grim's shoulder before urging Larth onward. Grim shook his head and followed on Matilda.

The ride to Greymoor was longer than usual, but it was at least uneventful. They didn't have to stop more than once to water the horses and there were no bandits that jumped out at them on the road. For that, Grim was grateful, though he had a feeling Matilda would have enjoyed the chance to show some bandits why they shouldn't underestimate a horse. Ever. He and Fjolnar talked along the way for a bit, but then they ended up riding in silence as each withdrew into their own thoughts. Fjolnar was surely thinking of Iddra and the babe she carried. Grim was wondering about Talos and why he had returned. Why had he protected his daughter? Was he really that important to Talos? Those thoughts drifted more into how he might use his wolf shape to his advantage. His wolf was much quieter than he was. Even in the light Stormcloak armor, he couldn't keep from making noise. As the wolf, however, he could be in and out of the fort very quickly. He knew this, but the problem was more in how to change without letting Fjolnar in on the secret? He was certain that his friend would notice if he was missing and in his place there was a huge white wolf. That is, if he didn't try to kill the wolf first.

It was a good seven hour ride before they got to the fort and they both stopped well before they reached the actual fort to get a lay of the land and figure out what they needed to do in order to get inside. They met up with Bjorn behind a small rise that hid their horses. After a lot of handshaking and back-clapping, they settled down to talk tactics and strategy. With a bit of maneuvering, he managed to get Bjorn to order him to scout around the fort for a way in that would be more hidden than the front gate. Alone. Fjolnar said he would go with a small force to the rear of the fort and keep it under watch, just in case they thought to leave that way. A quick bite to eat and a drink of mead, then they all took their positions and Grim lowered into a crouch and began to sneak around, his eyes looking all over for a place to hide.

He went into the bushes and watched the area. When he saw his opening, he darted forward to the fort and pressed against the stone wall. He moved along the wall with his back pressed against it and almost fell to the ground when he found the dip in the wall. He turned around to face it and discovered a sewer grate and tested it. The thing was loose, so he worked it aside and then went into the tunnel. It stank, but what else did he expect? It was a sewer tunnel after all. Now that he was inside the fort, albeit in a sewer tunnel, he paused a moment and closed his eyes, willing his body to change. Opening his eyes once more, he licked his wolfish lips and shook himself. Being a wolf that stood almost five feet tall at the shoulder in a cramped tunnel full of refuse wasn't fun, but when he reached the end of the tunnel, ignoring the side tunnels that didn't hold any scents, he found another loose grate and stopped. His blue eyes looked out before he pushed it aside with his muzzle.

His ears flicked back and forth, searching for any sounds within the room. Having better hearing, vision and smell as a wolf, he remained in this form even after stepping out of the tunnel. He started to explore the room he entered and found it to be empty. On the floor were scattered the dead bodies of skeevers caught in iron toothed traps. He sneezed from the stench and shook his head, but continued onward. A slight incline lead up to a doorway with a sort of balcony with sacks and barrels placed upon it. Grim stood and looked everything over for a moment, then moved on, carefully through the doorway. Here there was a staircase that led up and he stopped, sniffing the air for a moment. He could hear movement at the top and slunk low to the stone stairs, moving silently upward. As he neared the top of the stairs, he saw an archway. Peering through, he saw the man walking around what looked to be a small dining room.

He pinned his ears and lowered to the ground, in preparation to jump. When the man walked through the archway the wolf lunged, his bulk knocking the man to the ground and pushing the air out of his lungs. This was advantageous for him because it allowed him to quietly use his jaws to break the man's neck before he alerted anyone else to his presence. Grim had to admit that while he was the wolf it was much easier to take the life of another. There was only instinct, no thought. He stepped away from the dead body and went through the doorway the man had come through.

The left side there was a closed door and he could hear a female voice behind it. They didn't seem threatening, or to even know that he was there, so he left her alone for now. There were two other doors in the room. One was straight ahead and the other was opposite the closed door. They were both open. As he stepped in closer, he heard the steps of another coming from the doorway off to his right side. He lowered his body to the ground once more and waited. As the woman came in, wearing Imperial armor, and looked around Grim leaped at her. He knocked her down as he had with the man before. A growl came from his mouth as he grabbed her throat and bit down. The gurgle that came from her as she died made the wolf lick his lips. He stepped off her and looked up, peering into the room the woman had come from. It was a pantry so Grim shook his head and went to the last open door. Carefully he moved into the room and saw an Imperial walking through. She didn't notice him until he moved. She drew her sword and came after him. She was surprised to see a wolf, number one, and such a large wolf at that.

He easily dodged her swing and grabbed her arm roughly. He growled and shook her slightly, then knocked her to the ground. Here, he let go of her arm and she attempted to swing the sword once again. Grim pinned his ears and took her sword hand in his teeth, bit down and she dropped the sword. He then let go and took her neck, jerked his head, and broke the bones. She let out a final gasp and then he heard the second woman behind him. He didn't manage to get out of way of that swipe and yelped as the blade struck his shoulder. He turned quickly and lunged at the soldier.

After the woman breathed her last, he snorted and shook his head, wiping his muzzle on her armor before turning to leave. There was another dining room here and Grim stopped, taking stock of if there were any other soldiers walking around or not. He looked around the room and found a piece of bread and ate it, having felt his stomach rumbling a little. When he stepped inside there was a yell from the side and an axe nearly cut his head off. He leaped aside and it swiped his shoulder instead. He growled and the hair went up on his back. His blue eyes focused on the man and he lunged forward, grabbing his stomach. He heard the man gasp and stumble back, so he pressed his weight forward and knocked him down. Once the man was on the ground, he snapped at his face and got his ear. He ripped it off and then went for the jugular. The man screamed and tried to throw the wolf off, but failed. He died still trying to push Grim away.

He turned away from the man and surveyed the area. There was another staircase going up from here and he took the stairs. He had been sent in to scout it out, but since he was a wolf, he figured he might as well take out what he could before returning to Bjorn. They didn't need to know how he did it, just that he did. A growl came from his throat as he scented another. He lowered to the ground and slunk around. His gaze found the man in the room off what appeared to be a training room. He stopped and licked his shoulder before running toward the man. The surprise caught the soldier unaware and he barely had time to draw his sword. Grim grabbed the man's arm and shook him, then flung him into the wall. He released him and backed away, then darted in and bit his side and released, backing off again. With a final dart, he dodged the sword swing and took out the man's throat. The soldier lay dead at his feet and he couldn't help letting out a howl. It reverberated throughout the entire fort and Grim let out a sigh. Then he closed his eyes and returned to his human form.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Grim made a walk-through around the fort and used his sword to make cuts on the soldiers that he had killed to cover up the wolf bites. He didn't need anyone asking questions. It wouldn't be unheard of for the Imperial soldiers to keep wolves in their fort for protection, but he knew Bjorn and the others would expect to see dead wolf carcasses as well. There weren't any because he was the only wolf that had been there. No, better to go around and make it look like he'd taken them out with his sword. After that was finished, he headed back through the sewer tunnel and outside. It was starting to get darker now and he crept over to where Bjorn was waiting, ready to go in.

"Sir."

"Ah, Frost-Blood. How's it look like in there?" the commander asked.

"There were a few Imperial soldiers, but I took them out. It should be fairly clean in there."

"Good. I'll send in a group. Take a rest. The blood on yer armor speaks well of yer efforts."

"Aye, sir. Thank you."

Bjorn nodded and dismissed Grim, then spoke to the soldiers next to him. Grim sighed and leaned back against a tree, not even caring that the ground was cold. He closed his eyes and let all the misery of having to kill other people flow out. He'd had to. It had been his survival or theirs and when it came right down to it, he was more interested in his own survival. He did look up when Fjolnar came over to him and smiled.

"I hear that you went and took out the soldiers inside the fort. On your own." He shook his head. "Damn fool. You could have at least left a few for us to take out." He clapped Grim on the shoulder and then went over to Bjorn to speak to him.

Before long, the troops had moved out and entered the fort. They had discovered the dead bodies and a woman inside. She claimed that she had always worked at Greymoor and told the Imperials that it didn't matter who was currently in charge of the fort, she would remain working there. They'd left her in place and Grim found he had respect for that woman. When he asked her about it, she had said that one night that she can recall she went to bed and orcs had control of the fort. In the morning, it was bandits. He shook his head and enjoyed a drink of ale with Agnis. The rest of the evening passed uneventfully. There was no retaliation from the Imperials. At least not yet, and so they decided to stay there where they could have warm fires and shelter from the weather.

Grim found his bedroll late and fell asleep immediately. His dreams were full of wolves running with him and one particular wolf smiling at him. He woke up in the middle of the night, sweating. He wiped his hand over his face and sighed, then got up. There was only one man awake and on watch, he nodded to young Tomas and walked outside. He needed some fresh air. This need took him down to the small stable where Matilda was currently resting. He let himself into her stall and closed the gate behind him. He reached up and wrapped his arms around her neck, hugging. Tilly seemed to understand that he needed her and simply stood there for him. A quick whuffle of his hair and then she lowered her head again.

"Grim?"

"Aye."

"I'd wondered where you had gone," Fjolnar leaned on the outside of the stall, arms crossed in front of him. He had wakened when Grim got up. He had gotten a sense that Grim wasn't so happy about their capture of the fort as everyone else.

"I just needed some air, man."

"Aye, I figured. You know, if you ever needed to talk to someone, I'm here for you. No judgments, just an ear to talk into."

"I know, Fjolnar, and I appreciate that. It's just... Well, it's nothing. Nothing I can't handle at least."

Grim gave Tilly one last pat and then left the stall, making sure the gate was latched before walking to the archway that served as the front entrance to the fort. He leaned against the stone and sighed. The moons were bright tonight, though not full, and shone down on the plains of Whiterun eerily. Grim heard Fjolnar follow and take up the spot opposite him.

"I miss them, too, Grim, and it's only been a day. I'm sure they're doing just fine."

Grim knew that his friend was talking about Iddra and the kids, but he wasn't unhappy because of that. That's not to say he didn't miss his daughter, his cousin and her son. It's just that he was feeling the guilt of killing those soldiers today. Even if it had been the wolf who had done the deed, he could have held restraint and not killed them. Well, he believed that he could. He didn't know for sure what he could do as the wolf yet. He had figured most things out, sure, but he also knew there were still things that Talos had given him with this gift that he didn't know about. He was sure he would eventually figure them out, but not until Talos determined it was time to do so. Of that he was quite certain.

"I'm sure, Fjolnar. Come on, let's get back inside and get a bit more sleep. We are on the road tomorrow." He put his hand on Fjolnar's shoulder and squeezed it a little bit before dropping his hand and heading back inside the fort.

Fjolnar hung around outside for a little longer before following Grim back inside. He worried that his friend wouldn't have the stomach to keep up with the killing work that needs to be done. On the other hand, he had that small worry that he would enjoy it too much the more and more they were in the field. He had known men like that. They just got too involved in everything and began to go looking for trouble. He didn't want that for Grim. He had a daughter to live for and return home to in one piece, mind and all. He found his bedroll again and went back to sleep.

In the morning, after a quick drill exercise and breakfast, the troops were assembled and Bjorn explained that they were going to leave a couple soldiers here, but the majority of them were going to head back east toward the Stormcloak camp in Whiterun to regroup and get new orders. This was all new to Grim so he was excited and wondered what would happen now. It seemed like the war wasn't really getting anywhere just yet, more like back and forth battles. Perhaps they would be staging an attack on Whiterun or something. He'd heard that Balgruuf had chosen the Empire instead of Ulfric when it had come down to it. From what the other troops were gossiping about, honestly they were worse than a knitting circle of women, Ulfric had been upset but understood Balgruuf's decision. Some understanding, he thought to himself.

After packing everything up and putting it on Matilda, he led her outside the walls and mounted up. He walked her around the area and surveyed using his eyes. He couldn't use his wolf senses, not while there were people around at least, but that didn't mean he was an idiot. He knew what to look for. The rest of the soldiers finished preparing and they were all starting to file outside the walls as well. Bjorn, on his own horse a beautiful black stallion, approached him and Fjolnar.

"Ye did well, Frost-Blood. I'm impressed. Today we ride to our camp near Whiterun and I'm sure we'll be sent to take out another fort. It seems to be what we're workin on weakenin right now. A solid strategy, sure, but I just wanna get to Solitude and take out the Imperials."

"Aye. Are we close to winning the war, Bjorn?" Grim asked, moving the bridle to keep Tilly's attention because she had pinned her ears and snorted at the stallion. Leave it to his mare to want to fight off a stallion.

"Close, aye, but there's still some stuff that needs to get done. We are, for lack of a better term, the Stormcloak pushers." He chuckled at that. "We're sent in first to weaken the Imperial forces for the rest of the army to come in and take over."

"I see. Well, I suppose we should get going. After you, sir."

Bjorn nodded and spoke to the troops, telling them to head out. He urged the stallion onward and left the angry Tilly behind. She had nipped the stallion's shoulder and felt proud of herself. Grim shook his head at her and urged her on as well. Fjolnar followed on Larth. It didn't take too long to reach the camp, only a few hours, and when they got there he heard the noise as the soldiers he was with saw those in the camp they knew and greeted. He looked over at Fjolnar and could see that he, too, had seen a few people he knew. He felt rather left out at the moment.

He had been in Skyrim for five years, sure, but he'd kept mostly to himself or to the small group in Kynesgrove. The largest group of people that knew him were those from Windhelm. He wasn't really an outgoing, social person. He preferred to stay at home, farming and taking care of his daughter. That was just what he has been doing. Now he was being forced out of his bubble and surrounded by people he didn't know, but he could get to know them. Dismounting as he reached the horses that were tied, he patted Tilly and wrapped a rein around the log.

"Be a good girl. Get to know the other horses or something. You need to learn how to get along with others just as I do." He patted her neck and then left her to find a fire, some food and drink. It didn't take long before someone put a mug and bowl in his hands. He thanked then, then sat down near a fire. He ate the bit of bread and cheese and drank the mead. About twenty minutes later he was joined by Fjolnar and a few of his friends. At least he would get to know people while they were at the camp. It was sort of hard not to. There had to have been at least eighty people here of varied races from Tamriel. He saw a couple Orcs, a couple Argonians, some Khajiit, a few Bretons, and even a Redguard or two.

All of the races of Elves were represented, though in low numbers. The majority of the soldiers were Nords, like himself and Fjolnar. That was understandable, though, considering it is the Nord's homeland that is trying to be free of the Empire. Grim had to admit that it didn't take him long to make friends once he opened himself up to the possibility of it. This much was evidenced in his first few months in Skyrim, back in Dawnstar. He'd made friends there, friends that he still corresponded with from time to time. It had taken time, however.

After sitting at the fire for a couple hours and talking to Fjolnar's friends, he rose to his feet and excused himself. He walked over to Tilly and leaned against her shoulder. He let out a sigh and looked around. He wanted to fight for Skyrim's freedom, but he wished he could do so alone. He was a wolf in many ways besides Talos' gift of being able to change into one. He was a loner, for one. While not all wolves were loners, many were pack-oriented actually, there were lone wolves in the world and that is what he's like. He's also fiercely protective of those he loves. Iddra, Einarr, his own daughter Lifa, and even Fjolnar were included in this. He supposed in terms of wolflike behavior, they were his pack. Not that any of them knew about that. He smiled at Tilly and she pushed him with her muzzle.

"Aye, I know. You're included in my pack as well, you foolish horse." He poked her nose and then looked at the horse next to her who reached his nose out to sniff her. Tilly put her ears back, but let the other touch her. That was progress. He patted her once again and then left her to get to know the gelding beside her. He looked for Bjorn and then walked up to him to see when they would be getting orders.

"Good afternoon, sir. I was just seeing if we had gotten our orders yet."

"Ah, Frost-Blood. Come walk with me, won't ye?"

"Yes, sir." Grim followed Bjorn as they walked away from the majority of the soldiers in the camp. He wants privacy, Grim thought, but why? He found out soon enough.

"I got orders from Galmar that ye are to take a small group by yerself and head north from here. There's a fort, called Fellglow Keep, ye see? Here," he said and handed Grim a sealed packet. "Yer orders."

Then Bjorn nodded and stepped away, heading back to the commanders that were looking over maps on a table. Grim looked down at the packet in his hands and swallowed. Galmar wanted him to take a fort out with just a few soldiers? Either there weren't that many people there or Galmar had a lot of faith in his abilities. He shrugged and walked out of the camp and found a large rock to sit on and opened the packet. Inside he found a letter from Galmar, saying pretty much the same thing that Bjorn had told him. Only it explained that there were no Imperials located at this keep, that they knew of. That meant that if he accepted the mission and went into this place he would have to kill innocent people. Well, perhaps not innocent people, but not Imperial soldiers. There had to be a reason Galmar wanted him to take the fort for him. Perhaps it was strategic.

Looking through the packet he found a map of where the keep was located in relation to the Stormcloak camp he was at currently. It wasn't that far, perhaps just an hour ride away. He looked up and sighed. The sun hadn't started to set yet and if he wanted to he could be out to the keep before it got dark. There was plenty of time. Grim walked back into the camp and hid the packet on the inside of his armor as he went over to Fjolnar and his group of friends. He smiled and clapped his friend on the back, jumping into the conversation. At one point, he leaned over and whispered toward Fjolnar's ear.

"I've got orders from Galmar. I want you and your friends to come with me."

"Orders?" Fjolnar returned the whisper, sensing that these weren't orders for everyone. Especially if they came from Galmar himself.

"Aye. We're to go to a place called Fellglow Keep. I'm to take a small group there and clear it."

"Ah, I know the place. I wonder why. Well, no matter. When do we leave, Grim?"

"Are you sure that uh, these folks will want to come?" he asked, taking a quick look around the fire at Fjolnar's friends.

"Aye, don't you worry about that. We'll be ready."

"All right, we're leaving in twenty minutes. Long enough to pack up food and supplies. It's a quick hour ride from here from what I can see on the map. We'll be there before dark."

"You got it, Grim." He smiled and nodded, lifting his head. "You fools, come on. We're in serious need of a rematch, Jax."

Grim left them to it and went to see about outfitting Matilda. He used a bit of straw to wipe down her coat before saddling her. Once she was tacked, he took the saddlebags and went to see the quartermaster. He made sure to get provisions for the trip and for some days after. He wasn't sure how long it would take them to relieve them once they took the keep. Then he untied her from the log and led her out of the camp. He nodded to Bjorn and then was out. He mounted and looked around. It was a little early, but he wasn't sure who would show up. Fjolnar, surely, but which of his friends would come without having everything explained to them? Within a few more minutes, he had his answer. All of them.

All six of Fjolnar's friends were with him and ready. Backpacks on and filled. Weapons at the ready. He nodded to them. Once they were closer to the keep he would let them know what was up. Fjolnar mounted on Larth and the small troop made their way toward the keep. Grim made sure they knew silence was key and moved over the plains until he spotted the keep in the distance, then he dismounted and sent Tilly off to graze. Fjolnar did the same with Larth. The rest of the soldiers didn't have horses, so they didn't need to worry about that. Once he was sure they couldn't be seen, he turned to the men.

"We're here to secure this keep for Ulfric. You all know how important any outpost could be. This keep is strategic for the cause and we will take it. Now, there are no Imperial soldiers here that we know of. However, that being said, there are powerful mages. Renegades from the College of Winterhold. Who knows, perhaps this is Ulfric's way of making sure Winterhold stays on our side. Let's not disappoint, eh? Jax, Kohl, and Marte. You will go to the left of the keep. Froka, Salk, and Rhoni. You'll go to the right side. Fjolnar and I will take the front. Everyone set?"

"Aye," was unanimously said throughout the small group and Grim smiled at them, turned and crouched as he drew his sword.

"Very well. Now, let's head out. Try to sneak as much as possible. We don't want to alert them that we're here." Then Grim was silent as he moved forward. Fjolnar beside him. The soldiers moved as he'd instructed, following his leadership with little trouble. Grim let a small smile lift the corner of his mouth as they headed toward the keep. The horses grazed alone on the plains.

With the distraction of the soldiers he'd sent on either side of the keep, he and Fjolnar were able to come up through the front of the place without much interference at all. Off to the left side, Jax, Kohl, and Marte were battling a mage. Off to the right side, Froka, Salk, and Rhoni were dealing with a second mage. He and Fjolnar had a summoned creature, called a Flame Atronach, to deal with. As Grim dodged a fireball, he held up his shield and looked at Fjolnar who had done the same with his own shield. A nod and the both of them moved to the side, then ran up to the atronach and attacked. Grim lunged in, pierced the thing, then lunged back out again. The creature tried to throw fire at them, but it didn't work. By the time they had killed it, narrowly avoiding the final blast as it died, the other two groups had disposed of the mages. Grim looked over the area, searching for any other problems, but seeing none decided they would have to enter the keep itself.

Grim went in first, then sent the others off to the sides once inside. He saw a closed door off to the left side, an open door leading to a hallway on the right side, and straight ahead was a staircase that led up. There didn't appear to be anyone else in the keep, at least not right here, so he looked at his group then back at the room. There were some shelves and a couple tables with lighting. Obviously it was still used, so there had to be others around. He motioned with his head for Jax, Kohl, and Marte to take the closed door. Then he pointed Froka, Salk, and Rhoni toward the hallway. He and Fjolnar headed for the stairs. He had to admit, there was advantage to having a group with him. He didn't have to investigate everything himself.

At the top of the stairs, he spotted an open door to the right. No one had heard him yet, so he was good. Looking to the left, he spotted a caved in hallway. The whole place, even from the outside, had looked like it was falling apart. The inside certainly had that same feel to it. Grim looked at Fjolnar and shrugged, then heard fighting down below. Apparently the others had found someone. Confident that they would be all right, the two men turned and headed toward the open door and peered inside. The first thing that caught Grim's eye was the enchanting table, since it was directly across from the door. They didn't hear anyone in the room, so crept inside carefully. A large fireplace took up almost one whole wall of the room and it was quite warm in there. Stepping in further, they saw what looked to be a small blacksmith area. A workbench and anvil sat at the back of the room.

"Looks like it's pretty clear, Grim. Come on, let's go see how the others fared," Fjolnar suggested.

Grim nodded and followed his friend out of the room and back down the stairs to the first area they had come into. The others were there, a little beat up, but otherwise all right. The door on the left had led to a bunk room where two mages were eating a meal. They were dead now, he was told. The hallway led on for a bit, with a door off to the right side. They hadn't opened that one yet. They had turned a corner and come upon a dining room. There were two mages sitting at a table in this room as well, but the trio took care of them easily enough. At the back of the room there was an open door. When they went through, they were confronted by another mage, this one standing at a podium of some sort. They told Grim that after he was dead, they realized that what they'd entered was something like a lecture room might be, and there was a funny looking shape on the floor with soul gems at the points. None of them were magically inclined, so they didn't know what it was. They didn't touch any of that. Behind the podium, they went on to say, there was a hallway and it led down a staircase to a closed door. They didn't open that one either.

After the briefing, Grim decided that it was probably a good thing they'd waited. He hadn't been told how many mages were here, just that they were a group of renegades that needed to be stopped. By any means necessary. He hadn't wanted to kill them, but he was left with very little choice. Besides, his soldiers wanted a fight, so he was giving them one. To be honest he was a little upset that there hadn't been anyone upstairs when he and Fjolnar had searched. There seemed to be a couple doors they could explore, however, so he told both groups they had done very well and to fall into line, they would go through the first closed door, then the second. When everyone was ready, they headed down the hallway to the door and opened it, slowly. Each of them crouched, stealth was key here. On the other side was a landing before a staircase that led down.

Grim went first, motioning to them to stay quiet. At the bottom of the stairs, he was surprised to see cells set into the stone with iron bars on the front. A prison. In the middle of the room there were three levers and if he had to hazard a guess, it was for the three cell doors that were there. Carefully, he peered around the corner of the stairwell on the left side and spotted a mage sitting at a table. He signaled the soldiers to stay put and drew his bow, cocked and arrow and let it fly at the mage. With a grunt the woman leaped up and then fell to the ground. Dead. A quick check around showed that there were no others in the area.

"Nice shot, Grim," Fjolnar said softly, slapping his back in praise.

"Thanks. Come on, we're not done here. There's a door over there, and another over here, but I think we should check out the archway first. Agreed?" he asked the soldiers who all nodded and smiled, weapons at the ready.

Grim turned and made his way, still crouching, toward the hallway. It led down to a staircase going upward. He was careful about going up the stairs not to make any noise. At the top of the stairs, there was a small landing before a room. He signaled for Kohl to come up and when he did, he pointed out the mage that was bent over a table, distracted. He nodded, letting the soldier take the shot. Kohl was a pretty decent archer and he wanted to showcase that. The best thing with mages was to take care of them quickly, before they had a chance to attack you. You didn't want them using spells on you. With a single shot, Kohl downed the mage and Grim smiled at the young man. However, the praise was short-lived when another mage came over to investigate what had happened. Grim motioned for Kohl to shoot at her, too. It took two shots, but Kohl put her down as well. They all waited, listening, but there were no other sounds from the room. They stood up and walked in.

These mages were very sick, indeed. All around them were bodies on tables, blood, and cages hanging from the ceiling. Grim went up to one of the bodies on a table and looked it over. Turned out to be a vampire that the mages had been studying, apparently. There were a couple other vampire bodies, but there were also a couple Nords and even a Khajiit. There was also a torture rack here and Grim found himself actually growling as he thought of anyone being tortured here. By renegade mages no less. A quick search of the room told him there was a closed door at the back and off to the side. He would have to deal with this later. Right now he had a group of mages to eliminate.

Crouching once more before opening the door, he looked through and saw a room that looked so different from the previous one. At a small table there sat another mage eating a meal. Damn, they must have come at dinner time. Good for them, bad for the mages. He let Fjolnar get the shot on this one. As he went past that room, he noticed more cells here, four more to be precise. There were bodies in three of them. He shook his head and sighed. They must have been necromancers to be studying like this. He saw an archway and made for it, but was pulled back by Jax just in time.

"Spelled trap, sir." Jax pointed it out on the floor, then used a stone to set it off.

"Impressive. Thank you, Jax. How'd you know?" Grim asked.

"I have a brother who's a mage at the college. I've seen him set traps before, so I know what they look like, sir."

"Keep that in mind, kid."

Grim went up the short stairway that led to an intersection. Before him was an iron plate on the ground and he looked at his soldiers.

"I believe this is another trap. I've seen them in a few dungeons before. Don't step on it." They all went around it. "You three, go that way," he pointed at Jax, Kohl, and Marte, "The rest of you are with me." Then he went into a crouch once more and took the right side. As he went up the few steps, he saw a couple mages sitting at a table and motioned to Fjolnar who knocked an arrow on his bow as well. With a signal, they both shot at the same time, taking down both mages quickly. Grim heard noise from behind him and figured the other group had found more mages and disposed of them. Grim walked into the room he had been heading to and looked around. There was a staircase that led down into a large pool of water. Since he didn't feel like getting wet and he believed his soldiers felt the same, he didn't go down. There were no mages down there anyway. He turned back and smiled at Fjolnar.

"Let's go see how the others have fared."

He walked down the hall, passing carefully by the plate on the ground and went with the group up the other side. The trio was there, looking over the area with the two bodies on the ground. They had just opened a closed door when Grim and his group showed up. A quick briefing showed that they'd come upon the two mages by surprise and taken them out quickly. Grim was pleased and then looked through the door they had opened. The ceiling had partially collapsed here as well, but there wasn't anything in it. Just a small room.

"Well, I haven't seen any others. I feel confident we can call this place cleared out, can't you?"

"Aye, sir," Jax spoke up. "Do you suppose we might head back to camp then?"

"We can head that way and see what happens." Grim laughed and then walked with the soldiers out of the keep.

It hadn't been easy to kill them, but it was survival. It had been either him or the mages. He had chosen himself. He was sure that anyone would. As they exited the keep, it was dark. He looked over at the group.

"Would you like to head back in the dark or wait until morning?"

"Didn't know it'd be dark out here," Marte said, shifting her weight slightly. "I vote we stay 'til morning."

"Oh, come on, Marte, it's an hour back to camp. What could happen in that time?" Salk asked.

"Really, Salk? Do ye not remember that bear two weeks ago? Ye thought ye could walk in the dark then, too," Rhoni said with a laugh, punching his friend's shoulder.

"Ah, I had forgotten. Well then, I vote we stay 'til morning, too," Salk said and stepped back toward the keep door.

"Very well, we'll head back inside. We can stay in that bunk room tonight. These folks won't need it, will they?" Grim said with a smile, leading the way back to the bunk room within the keep.

Once they were all settled down, he and Fjolnar sat up talking. Grim wasn't sure exactly why he couldn't sleep, but guessed it had something to do with the fact that he hadn't been able to change into the wolf. When he'd smelled the blood as the mages died, he had felt the urge to change come upon him. It was like a fury, a feeling he hadn't experienced and didn't think he wanted to ever again.

"Do you suppose they might be all tucked up tight tonight, Fjolnar?"

"Aye, Grim. You know as well as I that Iddra won't let anything happen to her. She thinks of her as her own child most of the time, you know."

"I know, and I'm grateful that she does. I feel like I've let Lifa down, though. Like I should find her a new mother."

"Don't worry about that, Grim. Your daughter's growing up just the way she should be. You and I both know it. A mother would just be telling her to stay home and help her cook and clean. Tell me I'm wrong."

"You're not, but that doesn't mean I don't want that for Lifa. She deserves two parents, not one who is hardly even there now. If we are sent on more missions like this then she will be alone more and more. I don't like that thought."

"I don't either, especially with Iddra being so close to birthing the babe, but there's little we can do now. We go where they tell us and do what they want. If we ask questions it will just make them not want us to do anything for them."

Grim had to agree on that thought. This did seem to be the quickest way to be made commanders of their own squads. Already he had been put in charge of this small troop and it seemed to be sitting well with him. Even Fjolnar didn't seem to be upset that it wasn't he that had been put in charge. They sat up talking and drinking mead for a little longer before they both sought their beds and slept until morning. Grim's dreams had him wandering the dungeon as the large white wolf, his blue eyes darting this way and that. He curled up to sleep after a long walk through the dungeon in his dream. When he awoke in the morning, he realized that perhaps it wasn't a dream after all. No one said anything, however, so he let it pass. No sense asking them if they'd seen a wolf last night if no one mentioned it. That would just draw attention to something he wanted to keep hidden. They packed their stuff and headed back to the Stormcloak camp shortly after waking and eating a breakfast of bread and cheese with mead.

He had a lot to think of during the ride back to camp. The wolf had apparently come out without him even willing it to. Did that mean he was in danger of revealing his secret when he slept? Would he murder his daughter in her sleep? This was worrying to him, but he had to keep his head level or he would certainly lose it. He wasn't sure what was happening to him, but he had a feeling that it would all be revealed in time. Hadn't Talos said not to trust so openly, to keep his guard up? He wasn't sure exactly what that meant, but his head hurt trying to think about it all. Once they reached camp, he unsaddled Matilda and let her have a good batch of grain and brushed her down with straw before heading into the main tent to speak with Bjorn.

"Ah, there ye are, Grim. Fjolnar was just fillin me in on yer task. Great job. I'll have a messenger sent to Galmar immediately."

"How's the fight going here, Bjorn?"

"It's goin well, actually. I sent a group to another fort to take it for us. We'll soon be ready to take Whiterun. Once we cut off their supply line."

"Great. It sounds like we're on the winning end, does it not?"

"Aye, it does." Bjorn took a bite of the cheese in his hand. "Why don't ye and yer group get some rest. The messenger'll take a day at least to get to Windhelm and back. Take the time to rest."

Dismissed, both Grim and Fjolnar left the tent and made their way over to the six soldiers that had become "their group" and sat down. Grim told them they would be resting until the messenger got back. They enjoyed that idea and started to drink more mead in earnest now. Grim shook his head, but then stood up and walked out of camp, looking around. The plains of Whiterun were something to look at. There weren't many trees, but that didn't matter. He could see deer and elk grazing upon the grass. He spotted a few hares in the grass as well as their hunter, the fox. Life was going on without anyone telling it what to do. Why couldn't the Empire just let them do what they wanted to do without dictating everything? It would be so much easier if that was so. Unfortunately, it didn't happen that way.

He shook his head of things that he couldn't change just yet and returned to camp. The men and women of his group were now singing bawdy tavern songs and he rolled his eyes, but found himself smiling nonetheless. They seemed to be good, fast friends. That was important if they were to go on more missions for Galmar like they just had. A group needed to have each other's backs. If they didn't, it wasn't a very good group. Much like a wolf pack, actually. That thought made him chuckle and he went to his tent and sat down on the bedroll. Opening a book about smithing, he started to relax by reading. It was one way to make sure to pass the time and also learn something at the same time. Two birds, one stone.

Soon enough, though, his thoughts turned to those of home and his family in Hammerfell. Only once the war was over could he bring them here to live. His parents had left Skyrim because they worshipped Talos. They wouldn't return until they could do so without fear of persecution. He would make that happen, he was determined to make sure of that. His eyes soon drifted and he fell asleep with the book on his chest.

The group remained at the Whiterun camp for three days before the messenger arrived from Windhelm. He not only carried the orders for Grim and his small troop, but also for Bjorn and the larger group of Stormcloaks there at the camp. Grim was called to the main tent and handed the sealed packet. Bjorn shook his hand and leaned forward so he could talk quietly to Grim.

"Galmar trusts ye, don't mess this up."

Grim nodded and smiled, but walked away from the tent a little anxious. What did it all mean? Was he being promoted and given command of the group? He didn't know, but he looked down at the packet he held in his hands. His answers were most likely in there. Now that he had it, he felt nervous about opening it. What if it said he was incompetent and Galmar didn't want, or need, another man like that? Shaking his head, he didn't open the letter right away. He went to his tent and sat down, staring at it. He was still staring at it thirty minutes later when Fjolnar entered the tent and sat down across from him.

"What's up, Grim?" he asked.

"I can't open it, Fjolnar. I've hardly been more afraid of anything in my life than I am right now, and of a damned piece of paper." Grim sighed and ran a hand messily through his hair.

"Would you like me to open it, Grim?"

"Aye. Aye, I would, Fjolnar. That will take some of the fear off me."

Fjolnar nodded and took the packet that Grim held up and broke the seal, then he unfolded it and handed the papers over to Grim as he scanned them.

"All that worry over nothing, Grim," he teased. "Galmar's got so much faith in you that he's already got another mission for us." He laughed and then leaned back against the cot.

Grim looked over the papers, reading in detail what Galmar had to say to him. They were to take their group toward Solitude, toward the Imperials, and check in at the Haafinger Stormcloak Camp outside the city of Solitude. The commander, Istar Cairn-Breaker, would be expecting them and would have further orders for them once they got there. Galmar thanked him for taking out the mages at Fellglow Keep, saying it helped to keep Winterhold on their side. Considering that city was mostly run by the College, it was a good idea to do a task for them to keep them as allies. He gazed at Fjolnar and sighed.

"Looks like we'll be leaving tomorrow for Solitude. Or close enough to it. Let them know, would you?"

"Of course, Grim." Fjolnar smiled and clapped him on the back before getting to his feet and heading out of the tent to speak with their six soldiers.

Grim spent the rest of the day going over the papers that Galmar had sent him, planning the journey to the Solitude camp and talking with his small group. They spoke of the trip, got supplies ready to go, and Grim had arranged for them all to have horses. It made the trip quicker and allowed them to get away quick if they had to. It wasn't like he hadn't earned anything in the short amount of time with the Stormcloaks, not to mention what he had started with. A good investment, to be sure. After the war, he thought he might make sure Matilda had a decent mate. Perhaps he would have a foal of hers that was just as feisty as she was.

That night the pack, as he had come to refer to them as, sat around the fire drinking mead, telling stories, and just general bonding. Even Grim sat with them that night, laughing with them as one or another told a joke. At one point, he told his own funny story about being in Hammerfell and getting on the back of a horse for the first time. That had them laughing and he covered his embarrassment in the mug of mead he held. As the hour got late, however, he told them they should all find their beds. They had a long ride ahead of them. He bade them goodnight and took his own advice, falling asleep almost as soon as his head hit the lump that served as a pillow.

When he woke up in the morning, he stretched and peered out of his tent. He saw a few of the pack sleeping where they had been seated near the fire. The others must have been in their tents and bedrolls, at least he hoped they were. It would be easier to deal with them if they were sober and rested up. Exhausted, hungover people were, in his experience limited as it was, not a very good combination to deal with. He wanted to make sure to get to the Haafinger camp in decent time. It would be a six or seven hour ride and that was a lot for anyone to stay in a saddle. It couldn't be helped, though. They needed to get there and a wagon would just take even longer to reach. No, they would ride, but they would go at his pace and the pack would just have to keep up. After taking care of his morning routine, he dressed in new clothes and exited the tent. He walked over to Kohl and Rhoni who were sleeping near the fire.

"Come on lads. Time to get up and prepare to ride out."

He let them wake up and headed toward the tents to find the others when Fjolnar came out of his tent and smiled, nodding.

"Morning, Grim. You look ready to head out."

"Aye, I am. Did the others make it to their beds last night?"

"They did, Grim, but maybe we'd be better off leaving after breakfast?"

"I suppose you're right, Fjolnar, but that still means we have to get them up and ready. Help me."

The two of them rounded up the rest of the pack and once more sat around the fire, eating their breakfast of bread and cheese with ale.

"Where were ye, Jax? We couldn't figure out who had the better hair and needed ye to break our tie, but ye couldn't be found," Kohl said with a smile.

"You guys are just too odd, to be sure. I was in my bed where you two should have been." Jax rolled his eyes at Kohl and Rhoni's problem. "Comes right down to it, Rhoni's got better hair than you, Kohl. Just saying."

"What? Nonsense. I have curls and the ladies love the curls. Right, Marte? Froka?"

The girls just giggled and shook their heads before heading off to get the rest of their stuff packed, they had finished breakfast.

"What was that for?" Kohl asked their departing forms and then got up to go after them, wanting to know why they had just laughed when he'd asked about his hair.

"I'll go make sure he leaves them alone, sir." Jax nodded and stood up, he walked behind Kohl and the girls, leaving Rhoni and Salk at the fire.

"This is exciting," Salk, who was only just sixteen, said while grinning.

"Aye, but don't let that get hold of yer head. Don't want ye losing it." Rhoni laughed and then ruffled the young man's hair and stood up. He excused himself and went to check on the horses. Salk fixed his hair and then followed Rhoni.

"They seem to be a decent bunch, Grim. Don't they?"

"Aye, that they do, Fjolnar. I couldn't have asked for a better pack."

"A pack? I suppose we are like one, aren't we? Grim's pack. No better leader than you."

"I'm learning as I go. I didn't really have any training, except for being the eldest child. As the older one I often had to take charge." He stood and gazed around the camp.

There was a lot of activity and he wondered if that meant they would be besieging Whiterun soon or not. If they did, would they be back in time? He wasn't sure, but he actually hoped they would be. He wanted to see what happens during a siege. He walked with Fjolnar to the horses, having already loaded everything he had onto Matilda before eating breakfast. The pack were all already there and he gave the order to mount up.

"We have a seven hour ride to the Haafinger camp. Might as well get to know your mounts while we ride." He mounted up on Tilly and urged her forward, acknowledging Bjorn as they rode out of the camp.

It was early morning, and as they rode Grim could see all the animals in the plains grazing or scurrying away to their daytime hideaways. If he ever needed to hunt for game he knew where to go. Whiterun seemed plentiful in deer, elk, and rabbits. Though where the prey animals were numerous, there seemed to be predators around as well. He'd heard the wolves howling last night, so he knew they were out there. Even if you didn't see them, they were always out there. Maybe there would be more places to run without being seen as they got closer to Solitude. The wolf within wanted to be let out again. Apparently it enjoyed taking down the soldiers in that fort.

"So, Grim, looks like ye impressed Galmar, eh?" Kohl asked with that boyish grin that he had even though he was hardly a boy anymore.

"It looks that way, Kohl. I'm not even sure what I did, to be honest. I helped him find that damned crown for Ulfric, though, but Fjolnar was there as well." He left it unsaid that it was only he that Galmar and Ulfric seemed to be favoring. Fjolnar had been a soldier before, he should have been recognized as well.

"Oh, the Jagged Crown? That's real?" asked Froka.

"Very real. Real as the draugr bastard we took it off of."

"Draugr? Man, you've really done a lot," said Marte, her green eyes shining.

"Eh, when one needs coin, one tends to do just about anything for it. Even delving into dungeons and fighting undead creatures to get it." He laughed about it now, but he hadn't laughed at the time.

"Did I tell you all how Grim saved my life five years ago?" Fjolnar spoke up, getting the focus off Grim for a bit and onto him. Grim relaxed and looked around, making sure there was no trouble. The unanimous answer was 'no', so Fjolnar went on.

"Well, back when I was a soldier the first time, I was headed home to Rorikstead then and a party of Imperials caught me. Thought I was a goner when Grim here jumped out of a tree and daggered the soldier in front of me, quick as punch. He tossed me a spear and then went after another soldier. When I got free, I used the spear on the man behind me. When all was said and done, Grim had killed two and I the one. It was a decent save and the start of our friendship. Helgrim Frost-Blood is a decent man and one that anyone of you should count yourself lucky to be around."

The group were awed at the ability of Grim to take out Imperial soldiers even before he was trained to. They didn't have such interesting tales to tell, so they soaked up everything that Fjolnar said about Grim.

About halfway through the ride, Grim noticed a village in the distance and motioned to Fjolnar, asking if he knew where it was. After consulting the map, he smiled.

"Aye, that's Rorikstead. My home village."

"Huh, I didn't realize we were headed this way. We can probably spare an hour if you like, Fjolnar. The pack might appreciate a break from riding. The horses might, too."

"Thanks, Grim. It's been a while, as you know, since I've been back home."

"I know. You're a good father and husband, Fjolnar."

They trotted down the road to the village and slowed as they approached the inn. Fjolnar, of course, knew right where he was going and rode to a small house and dismounted there. Grim sat on Matilda and watched. The pack tied their horses, made sure they had water and then headed into the inn to grab a drink. Fjolnar was wrapped in a hug by a woman Grim assumed was his mother. He smiled and then dismounted from the mare.

"What do you think, girl? Life a little slow? Eh, it'll get faster soon enough. You'll see." Grim patted her neck and then got her some water and headed into the inn to have a bite to eat with the others.

He would give Fjolnar time to spend with his family. It had been a while for them. It had been too hard for Fjolnar to return after his wife had passed away. Five years ago, Fjolnar's wife had been assaulted and didn't live but for three days after. The culprit, or culprits, had never been found and now he doubted that Fjolnar would dig it up again. No, best to just let him have some time with his folks before getting back on the road again. The meal of potato soup and mead was appreciated and he made sure to leave a good tip for Erik. The kid had been happy to see them, expressing an interest in joining the army himself, but said his father wouldn't let him. A pity for he felt that the boy could be an asset. Perhaps he would speak to the innkeeper when they came back through here.

An hour after they had arrived, they were once more mounted on their horses, Fjolnar had said goodbye to his parents and they made their way out of the village.

"Are you okay, Fjolnar?"

"Aye, Grim. It's just hard, that's all. I haven't been back since...since Janna died. It brings everything all back into focus and I'm glad we're not staying longer. My father told me that Janna's father died last winter. I should have been here."

"Don't think like that, Fjolnar. That road is a dangerous path and you know that as well as I do."

"I know, but it's not easy to just stop thinking about. You know?"

"Aye, I do, but you just have to think of other things. Think of Iddra and Einarr. Think of your new babe soon to be born. These are pleasant things."

"Thank you, Grim. You're a great friend."

"Any time, Fjolnar. Any time."

They were quiet for a long while after that. Even Kohl, the chattiest of the bunch, seemed to be withdrawn for whatever reason. Grim shrugged at that thought and figured they were just tired. Being in the saddle for five hours is a hard task for anyone, least of all soldiers that may not be used to it. When they had passed over a bridge, Grim pulled the mare up to a stop and motioned for them to do the same. He then let her graze alongside the road.

"The horses need to eat something and I thought we might have a snack as well." He pulled out a piece of bread from his saddlebags.

The others did the same and relaxed. Kohl and Rhoni got down off their horses and before long were wrestling on the ground. Grim rolled his eyes and shook his head. Boys will be boys went through his head as he watched them. Fjolnar didn't talk much and he understood. He would get him talking again later, when they had reached the camp and could relax. Right now they had to be on alert in case they were set upon by bandits, wolves, or Imperials. They didn't hide the fact that they were Stormcloak soldiers, after all. A break of thirty minutes and they had remounted and prepared to continue on.

"What is that huge bridge in the distance, I wonder," Grim mused aloud.

"Hmm, the only large bridge I know about, Grim, is the dragon bridge," Fjolnar spoke softly.

"A dragon bridge?"

"No, well, yes, but not. It's a bridge that has dragon skulls on it. I don't think they're real though." He smiled.

"Well, that seems interesting. Looks like we have to ride through it to get to the camp," Grim said as he looked at the map in his hands.

"Suppose we should get going then. Come on you fools, let's ride," Fjolnar said to the pack and then urged Larth on into a fast canter.

Grim followed on Matilda matching speed. He looked over his shoulder at the pack and saw that they rode with him and Fjolnar easily. At least it appeared he didn't have anyone that was afraid of horses in the group. That was a good thing because a having a decent horse underneath you was important. Matilda was one in a million, he was sure, but that didn't mean that the other horses wouldn't bond with their riders and carry them without hesitation. He owed his life to Matilda several times over and he had a feeling she would always have his back, just as he would have hers.

"Would you look at that? Impressive, is it not?"

"Aye, Grim. I've never seen anything else like it." This from Marte, her soft voice sounding strained as she took in the heads above her.

They rode across the bridge at a walk, taking in everything, including the sight of the long drop to the river below. Grim wouldn't want his mount to freak out here. That would not be good for either of them. Death was certain. Once across, they were greeted by the townsfolk. A boy with a goat walking beside him stuck out and he smiled. There weren't very many people who had a goat as a pet, for that was surely what it was.

"Welcome to Dragon Bridge!" a dark skinned man called out as they pulled up after crossing the bridge.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Grim nodded to the man and couldn't help the grin that came to his face. It wasn't often that he saw someone from Hammerfell here in Skyrim, so he motioned the pack to stay put. He dismounted and walked up to the man. He shook his hand and saw that they were attracting quite a crowd already. He wasn't sure that was a good idea, especially if their mission, whatever it turned out to be was to go somewhere hidden.

"Hello there. I'm Grim Frost-Blood. This is my pa- my troop. We're just passing through."

"Welcome travelers, Grim. I'm Azzada Lylvieve. Mind yourselves in my town, please."

"Of course, Azzada. Tell me, what brings a Redguard all the way to Skyrim? I ask only because I was raised in Hammerfell."

"Ah, I see. Well, to be fair, I was raised here in Skyrim, so I was already here to answer your question." Grim laughed at that.

"Quite the opposite pair, aren't we?"

"Aye. You're welcome to stay, Grim."

"Call me Grim and I'm sorry to say that we really have to be going. Perhaps I'll come back through, though. Until next time, Azzada."

"Until next time, Grim."

Grim remounted and nudged Matilda on, leading the pack through the town, but his eyes took in everything around him. He noticed the Imperial flags on a building and looked over at Fjolnar who also noticed them. They were slightly different than the normal Imperial flag, but for the life of him he didn't know why they would be. It wasn't until much later that it was explained to him, then he would understand. Until then, however, he had no idea. The boy with the pet goat followed them as they rode along the road and Grim grinned at him, nodding. The boy smiled widely and then ran off to a farmhouse, the goat bleating and following behind. It was a nice little village and seemed to be doing all right during the war. It had a mill and an inn. Those two things right there seemed to be very important lately. Soldiers liked to drink and they needed wood for siege weapons.

After leaving the town, Grim looked at the others. They had gone very quiet and he wondered about that. Not that he minded. They were usually such a chatty bunch that he had a hard time hearing himself think. Today, however, they were reserved in regards to their talking. He wasn't sure what had changed, but he hoped it didn't have anything to do with the fact that he'd been chosen as their leader. He liked them and didn't want that to change anything with their dynamic. They were friends, he hoped it stayed that way. From Dragon Bridge, it didn't take long at all to get to the Stormcloak camp. They rode in and he felt a sliver of relief as they reached it. Seven hours in the saddle with only a few breaks was a hard ride for anyone, and it didn't matter if you were used to riding or not.

"You guys take care of the horses. I'll go find Istar and get the details on what our mission is."

Grim led Tilly with him, walking toward a large tent. If one needed to find the commander, the best choice was almost always the biggest tent. He stopped outside and dropped the reins for Matilda, something he had been working on teaching her. This was a test, but he didn't think she would run off anyway. Once he was sure she wouldn't hurt herself on the reins, he went into the tent. As expected, Istar was there, standing over the map on the table, speaking with another member of the Stormcloaks before he was noticed. When he was, Istar sent the man he'd been talking with out of the tent. Grim had a moment to look the man over. He was big, that was the first thing. The guy probably could have gone toe to toe with a bear and lived to tell the tale. Another thing he noticed was that his right eye was milky white and he assumed that meant that he was blind in it. His mind ran through scenarios as to how that might have happened, but he wasn't brave enough to ask. He also noticed that the man looked ready for battle.

"Ah, now what do we have here?" the rough voice asked.

"Grim Frost-Blood, sir. I was told to report here and that I would get new orders once here."

"I see. Frost-Blood, eh?" He turned and looked through some papers on the table, finally finding what he was looking for and reading over it. "Ah yes, here it is. Galmar has a lot of faith in ye. We'll see if it's well placed or not." Istar walked over to Grim and motioned for him to come closer. "Galmar says that ye're good at sneaking into places. Let's hope that yer social skills are just as good, aye?"

Grim looked unsure what Istar was getting at, but he nodded just the same.

"Good, now, what I need is someone, or a group of someones, to go to Dragon Bridge for me." He paused.

"We've just come from there, sir."

"I know. Unless ye came by ship, which I had doubted, ye would've come right through the village. Now, here's what I need to you to do there."

Istar then explained to Grim what his orders were, then sent him on his way. Grim left the tent feeling somewhat disheartened. He had expected to be told to go into some fort or another, much like what had been done previously, but he hadn't. He was to go to Dragon Bridge and stay put. Odd, but he wasn't one to question his commanders. No, he would just go to his pack and fill them in on what they were up to. He found them all together near the fire, eating a meal and drinking. It seemed all they did when they weren't fighting or sleeping. He smiled and shook his head, walking over to them all.

"I've just come from Istar's tent."

"What are we doing, Grim?" asked Marte.

"Aye, are we gonna take out another group of mages?" came from Rhoni.

"Or perhaps a camp of Imperials?!" said Kohl excitedly.

Grim shook his head at them all, wishing that at least one of them was right.

"We're going to head back to Dragon Bridge in the morning."

"What?" came from all of them nearly in unison.

"Let's hear him out, guys," Fjolnar said, rising to his feet now.

"Thank you, Fjolnar. Now, there's a reason we're being sent there, as there usually is. We are to assure the townsfolk that the Stormcloaks have no interest in blowing up their bridge, which is something they are apparently worried about. Also, our job is to get to know the townsfolk and find out more about the involvement of the Penitus Oculatus there. Whatever that is." Grim shrugged. "Istar said it's some shifty Imperial faction which is why we're being sent to gather information on it."

"Ooh, so there is intrigue involved. We're not just sitting around doing nothing. Perfect," Salk said with a grin.

"Easy, Salk, we aren't to kill anyone while we're there unless ordered to by Istar or if we need to defend ourselves. Let's hope it doesn't come to that, though."

Grim took a mug of mead and sat down at the fire, warming his feet.

"I suggest that you all not drink so much tonight. I want to get an early start in the morning. Kohl, Rhoni, this means you lads." They seemed to be the ones that would try to out-drink each other, only to pass out from intoxication at the same time. It happened often enough.

"Fine..." grumbled Kohl who was already on his third mug of mead. Rhoni poked him in the side and shook his head.

"I'm going to take a walk around the camp. We made good time. It's only one o'clock in the afternoon. Maybe you should check with the Quartermaster to make sure you have what you need."

Grim finished his mead and set the mug down beside Froka and then walked away. Fjolnar wanted to go with him, but sensed that his friend needed time alone. He was sure that Grim had never expected to be put into a leadership position like he had been, but he seemed to be dealing all right with them. He turned back to the group and sat down with them again.

Grim found himself standing on a ridge overlooking the river. If the soldier he'd asked was right, this was the Karth River. He had to say it was impressive looking. With several waterfalls, the spray came up to mist on his face and the noise was so loud that it was almost deafening. He loved it, though. That was one thing he had to say about Skyrim. It certainly had beautiful rivers and numerous waterfalls. As he sat there looking at the river, he sensed someone near him and turned to look. There stood a soldier, his soldier. He swallowed and then moved aside on the rock that he had sat upon so that she might sit with him.

"It's very pretty."

"Aye, that it is," Grim said, looking back at the river, but he wasn't sure which he was talking about.

Ever since Fellglow Keep he had been thinking about Froka, and not just as one of his soldiers. It appeared that the feeling was mutual. Grim was careful, though, not to show her any sort of preference with the group. He knew how nasty this could get if it went wrong.

"Grim, I..."

"It's okay, Froka."

"No, I need to say this." She turned to look at Grim and took his hand in her own, nervously. "I like you. I know that you hold yourself away from everyone, even when we're sitting by the fire. I see the pain in your eyes."

Grim made a weak attempt to pull his hand from hers, but then sighed, nodding.

"I don't pretend to think I could bring you out of that pain, but I only want to help make it something you can deal with." She looked at him. "Would you like to take a walk with me, Grim?" she asked as she stood up, still holding his hand.

Grim swallowed and looked at their hands clasped together. He wanted to walk with her, very much, but something told him it would not be just a walk. She seemed eager to please him, in whatever manner she could. He sighed again and rose to his feet, finally pulling his hand from hers.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea just yet, Froka. I still have issues that... That I need to deal with first. Can you give me that?"

"Of course I can." She bit her bottom lip lightly and held her hands together, glad that at least he wasn't rejecting her. She hadn't been very brave when it came to men in the past, so it was a leap for her.

After standing there a little longer with him, she turned and walked back to the group. Grim watched her go and rolled his eyes skyward. What was wrong with him? Any other man probably would have jumped at the chance to be alone with Froka, but he had to "deal with his issues first". He shook his head and walked away from the ledge, the opposite direction that Froka went in. He needed to think and he needed to run. He wasn't even sure he could run here, but he had to try. The wolf was eager to chase a deer. His mouth salivated at the thought and Grim was shocked at that. Were they merging that much? He found a heavy group of trees and disappeared into the foliage. He closed his eyes and thought of the wolf, letting him out. He opened the eyes and was once more the white wolf. He held in the howl he wanted to let out and took off at a run. Soon enough, with tongue lolling, he slowed to a trot and padded through the woods. He had traveled far from the camp, he knew that, and as he stood on a rock ledge, he let out a long, loud howl. His hackles went up on his back as he sensed another and he turned, but was surprised to see the large black wolf. Talos.

"Good evening, Frost-Blood."

"And to you, Talos. To what do I owe this visit?"

"Can I not just come and walk a while with you? You are perhaps the one who is my most faithful of worshipers, after all."

"I suppose. Usually you have some poignant reason for showing up. That's all." He turned and walked back toward the trees. Talos followed him.

"Aye, I guess that's true. Today, however, I heard your howl and came just to visit. You seemed lonely."

"I have a lot on my mind lately. I suppose you know about the girl?"

"I do. Her name is Froka, right?"

"Aye. I like her fine, but I have to think of Lifa. I also have to think of the pack. How would they take finding out that I was spending time with one of them romantically? Would that not be an abuse of my position?"

"It's like this, Frost-Blood. You are their leader, that means that you have their well-being to think about, correct?" At Grim's nod, he went on. "Well, I would think that if you disclosed what was going on before they found out on their own, would it not be better and less awkward for the rest of the group? That would be taking care of them. The bigger picture. You see?"

"I do see that, Talos. You know, you are really wise. I wonder why so many wanted you dead."

"Ah, another tale for another day, Frost-Blood. I must go now. Enjoy the night."

"Good night, Talos."

"And to you, Frost-Blood."

Grim ran for a little while longer before he was satisfied and made his way back to the camp. As he neared a cave, he stopped when he heard voices. His ears picked up two males talking outside the entrance and he crouched to stay hidden.

"Do you think the General will come down himself?" one asked the other.

"He surely will. I mean, he's just up at the castle, right?"

"Right. Holed up in Castle Dour as he has been all through the war. Well, there was that time he came out himself. Remember that?"

"I do. That was five years ago when he had Ulfric and a bunch of Stormcloaks captured, right? He was gonna execute them all. Then that damned dragon came outta nowhere."

"Yes! I remember that! I wasn't there there, but I heard about it. Big black cocker it was, they said. Turned Helgen into ruins and allowed Ulfric and most of the Stormcloaks to escape."

"Yeah, bad day for the General."

"It was. Ever since he's hardly come out of Solitude, but I bet he'll come out if he knows there's a Stormcloak camp not far from the gates."

"Well, it's not our concern. We just gotta bring the information to our commander and let them do with it what they will."

"Right, let's get going."

Grim was snarling by the time they finished talking and when the first one walked past him, he lunged out and knocked him down. With a quick bite, he snapped the man's neck, then his blue eyes turned to the stunned man behind him. That appeared to shock the man into action and he turned to run. He didn't get far before Grim had knocked him down as well and sliced his throat open with his teeth. He growled and looked at the two dead men on the ground. He had to get back to the camp. There's no telling how many others had seen the camp and reported it back to Solitude, to the Imperials. Letting out a short howl, he ran through the forest, straight toward the camp. He found the same heavy group of trees he had gone into and changed back to his own form, checking his clothes to make sure they didn't have blood on them. He then walked into camp and made for Istar's tent.

After ensuring that Istar believed what he had said to be true, he went to find his pack. He needed to get them packed up and ready to leave. He didn't want to be there if the Imperials came down in force. He preferred the sneak attacks and taking out smaller groups. The large battles still worried him because there are so many variables that can't be controlled.

"Come on guys, let's get the horses saddled. Istar's ordered us to Dragon Bridge immediately. There's an inn there. We'll get beds. Come on."

Grim was motivating them, avoiding Froka's eyes for now. He would deal with her later when they weren't in danger of being discovered by Imperials. Once they were all saddled and mounted up, he got them on the road, seeing that Istar was getting the soldiers to pack up the camp. He'd done his deed. He was now heading to his new post and would stay there until further orders came in. His thought went to their armor.

"In the morning we'll see about getting new clothes. It would be best if we weren't seen as Stormcloaks right now. We are too close to Solitude. To the Imperial army. I like my head just fine where it is."

"I agree, Grim. Besides, regular clothes would allow us to get to know the townspeople without our affiliation getting in the way. They might be more eager to talk to us if we are dressed like farmers and such."

"Great idea, Grim. Just like always," Froka said and then blushed, looking at her horse's mane.

"All right, let's get there. It's a short ride."

Grim and the others were quiet for the rest of the way to the town. They rode back into Dragon Bridge at five o'clock in the morning. After stabling their horses behind the inn, and greeting the innkeeper, Faida, they arranged for beds for the night and Grim fell asleep soon after he lay down. He didn't lay down until he knew the others were in their beds first. He felt for them as a wolf would for its pack. They were his pack. They were his friends. He would see that they were taken care of even if they never knew it. He dreamed of the mission ahead and how they would get to know everyone at the town. He didn't want to be deceptive, so he would do his best not to lie.

Grim awoke the next morning with a purpose. He was here to do a job for the Stormcloak cause, even if he didn't know exactly what that cause might be yet. He may have been a lone wolf in many cases, he was also loyal to those he pledged to. He had given an oath when he joined the Stormcloaks. He would do what he could to see the end of the war came to pass. Even if that meant sitting around a small town for weeks just getting to know people. It was an odd mission, to be sure, but one that he was ready to embrace full force. He washed using the ewer of water and basin. He spotted the cloth next to the basin and chuckled slightly. Obviously the inn had servants and this had all been set up for him. He was glad as it was a chilly morning and the less he had to travel without clothes the better.

A search through the dresser and a wardrobe in the room yielded him a set of "normal" clothes which he quickly dressed in, feeling the warmth come back to him as soon as he did. He didn't think the innkeeper would mind if he borrowed the clothes, at least he hoped she wouldn't. He then opened the door a crack and looked out. He could hear the others before he saw them and a small grin came to his face as he listened to them talking among themselves. They were eating breakfast and sitting at a table together. He shut the door again and grabbed his stuff, finding a chest in the room. He put everything in there except for his coin purse and a dagger, both of which he put on his belt. Then he went out into the common room.

"Good morning, my friends," Grim said as he reached the table, sitting down next to Fjolnar and squeezing his friend's shoulder. "How goes it?"

"It goes well, good morning to you as well, Grim. Here, eat up." Fjolnar put a plate of food in front of Grim.

"Thanks." He started to eat, his eyes looking over the rest of them as they greeted him and went back to eating and talking with one another. He tried to avoid eye contact with Froka, but failed. He did, however, manage to keep it brief and gazed back at his food.

"So, what's on the agenda today, sir?" asked Jax.

"Well, first thing is you're all going to have to call me Grim. We aren't supposed to be military, remember? Just regular folks." Grim hoped that they had so many people passing through that Azzada wouldn't remember what they had been wearing when they came through the first time. "Next, we'll dress like I am while we're here. We can put everything you have into a chest for safekeeping." He nodded and took another bite before sitting up again. "Then it's pretty much up to you guys. If you want to help out at the mill, be my guest. If you want to help out here, so be it. I think I'm going to get to know that man, Azzada. He seems to know what's going on here. Just be careful. We don't need any Imperials coming here to see what's going on. So make sure you don't do anything rebellious." He gave a wink to Kohl, knowing he was the most likely to give their cover away.

He went back to his food and was taking a bite when he felt something rubbing against his foot. He gulped, nearly choked, and looked across from him at Froka. She was bold, he had to give her that. He had to wonder if Fjolnar knew of his attraction to her and had nudged her in the right direction. His eyes moved over to Fjolnar, but his friend seemed to be ignorant of what was going on under the table. He swallowed again and let his blue-eyed gaze find Froka once more.

A raised brow and slight tilt of his head seemed to get her attention and she smiled, then moved her foot off his own. He wasn't sure if he was going to get through this unscathed. She was a pretty woman and he couldn't deny that he wanted to know what she felt like in his arms, but he was her superior in the army ranks. He was afraid that if anything happened, she might expect him to treat her differently, or that he might do so anyway, and what would happen if they ended things? A very sticky situation, to be sure. He finished his meal and got to his feet, nodding to his group.

"I'll see you at lunch time. Enjoy your time off."

He then turned and left the table, heading toward Faida and held out some coins to her.

"Good morning, Faida."

"Well, it's morning. I'll give you that."

"Here, I wanted to pay for breakfast for all of us and also the beds for the week."

"Humpf. I hope you ain't here to cause trouble. I don't stand for that," she said, but she took his coins and nodded.

"Certainly not, Faida. We're just traveling Skyrim." He grinned at her and then turned to leave.

Grim could tell that she didn't trust them one bit. Perhaps that's the way it should be, but his orders were to get to know these people, convince them that the Stormcloaks meant no harm. He could only do that if they got to know him, got to like him. Well, him and his friends. He left the inn and paused for a moment, getting his bearings of where everything might be located. The mill was down the hill near the river and working already. The kid with the goat was running around town and he stood there for a minute, watching him, until he felt someone beside him. He was about to turn and see who it was when his hand was grasped. Froka, then.

"I thought we might be able to take a walk now, Grim."

"I can't right now, Froka, but I promise you that we can walk later. I have to establish a rapport with Azzada. He seems to be in charge of this town, or at least the one everyone looks up to. It's important to get a friendship started with him." He paused, turned toward her and sighed, raising his hand to cup her cheek, his thumb skimming along her skin. "Give me an hour, two tops and we can take that walk, all right?" He smiled softly.

"All right, Grim. I'll hold you to that." She smiled and leaned into his hand softly. "I suppose I'll see if Faida needs any help in the inn at all. See you later." Then she looked left and right before leaning up and kissing his cheek. Then she blushed and darted back inside the inn.

Grim stood there for a few minutes, wondering just what the hell had gotten into him. Why had he touched her like that? He shouldn't be encouraging her attentions, but he couldn't help it. She warmed his body in a very good way and that hadn't happened much, if at all, during the past five years. Shaking his head to clear it, he turned and started to walk up the street searching for Azzada. He decided to try the crop field. He'd seen enough to realize the man was a farmer, never mind that it was where he'd seen him come from when they had ridden up their first time through town. Sure enough as he neared the field of cabbage next to a house he saw Azzada weeding around the crops. He leaned forward on the fence and waited until the man stopped to wipe his brow of the sweat before he spoke.

"Good day to you. Name's Grim."

"Ah, welcome to Dragon Bridge, traveler. I'm Azzada Lylvieve. What can I do you for?"

"Well, I must say I'm surprised to see a Redguard up here in Skyrim."

"To be fair, I was raised in Skyrim."

"What a strange world, eh? I was raised in Hammerfell." Grim smiled and then stood upright once more. "You look like you could use a hand. I'm all right with a hoe, so I've been told."

Azzada leaned on the handle of the hoe and looked Grim over, trying to figure out just how much he could trust the man. Shrugging, he tossed the hoe to him and stepped aside.

"Be my guest. The less I have to do the better." He laughed a bit and then let out a soft sigh. "Heard you come into town last night with that big group. Friends of yours?" he asked.

"Aye. We're traveling Skyrim and had heard about what an interesting place Dragon Bridge was. We just had to see it." It wasn't a lie. He'd heard about the dragon heads on the bridge and had wanted to see it.

"It is interesting, that's for sure. Lots of history, or so I'm told."

They were quiet after that. Grim worked on the crop field and Azzada supervised, unsure if Grim was trustworthy or not yet. After a few hours of work, first in the cabbage field, then in the wheat field, they took a break for lunch and Grim said he would be back to help him out later. Then he made his way back to the inn to meet up with the others. He sat down and a plate was put in front of him. Bread, cheese and a salmon steak. A good meal for anyone and he nodded at the young woman who delivered it. She couldn't have been more the fifteen or sixteen years old and eager to make sure they were all happy with their food and drink. He thanked her and then started to eat.

"The mill's a decent place to work," Fjolnar said.

"Yeah, I learned a few things, too," said Salk with a glance over at the girl flitting about the inn.

Grim followed his gaze and noticed that she was now sweeping the floor. He shook his head and snapped his fingers in front of Salk's face.

"Focus, lad. You aren't here to get close to the lasses. So you and Fjolnar helped out at the mill, then?"

"Aye, sir, er, I mean Grim. You shoulda heard the man speakin 'bout his wife. I never thought a man could dislike a woman so much."

"That's right, I heard him talking about her. Grim, the man referred to her as the most spiteful shrew in all Skyrim," Fjolnar spoke up between mouthfuls.

"I wonder what she's done to him to make him hate her so." Grim mused and then looked over at Kohl, who was speaking next.

"Rhoni and I investigated that building with the flags. Remember it?" Grim nodded and Kohl went on. "It's an outpost for the Penitus Oculatus. Istar was right."

Rhoni kicked his friend slightly as the girl came back to the table to see if they needed anything else so that Kohl would shut up. They all thanked her, but said no, they were good. She smiled and left them alone again.

"That was too close, Kohl. Keep it down, would you?" Rhoni hissed.

"Fine. Well, we spoke with the guy in charge there. Looks like we'll get an intro period to see what it's all about."

"Well done, you two. Make sure you keep me informed about that." Grim drank some of the mead and looked at Marte and Froka next.

"Froka and I helped out here at the inn today. We did some dishes, washed our laundry, and even helped prepare some meals. Faida's distrustful of us, but she's not willing to turn down help just on that basis alone."

"Aye, I did notice her distrust earlier when I spoke to her before leaving. Perhaps if we can show her we aren't here to cause trouble she will open up a bit more. Good work."

"I spent the day gathering information about the bridge. After speaking with the stablelads, I learned that the heads on the bridge were built when the bridge was made. Apparently they wanted it to look unique and dangerous, so they made dragon heads. No one had ever even seen a dragon before, but there were a few books on the subject, so they carved them from those." Jax paused in his telling before looking around. "It appears that the townsfolk are afraid that one side or the other will attempt to control the bridge and by doing so blow it up."

"That's interesting and pretty much confirms what Istar suspected. One of the things we were to do here is assure the residents that the Stormcloaks will not blow up the bridge," Grim sipped from the mead mug again and sat back, his eyes finding Froka and then moving on.

"It looks like you all did well in your roles already today. I don't see why you can't relax for the rest of the day. Unless, of course, you are going to go back to work. I will be returning to help Azzada with his crops in a little bit. We are well on our way to getting to know these people and in turn, helping them get to know us. Keep up the good work."

Grim then stood up and tossed coins onto the table to pay for their lunch and give a tip to the girl waiting on them. Then he left the inn and waited outside at the corner. Sure enough, Froka came out and walked down the steps toward him. Without a word, Grim took her hand in his and walked away from town. There were trees and rocks nearby to shield them and he walked with her toward these. Froka smiled and said nothing, just walked alongside him. She was happy that he was finally walking with her. She had been trying to get him alone since they first started their campaign together. Once they were far enough from town and hidden by a large boulder, Grim stopped and turned her toward him.

"You're too pretty for your own good, Froka." He sighed and pulled her in, lowering his head to claim her lips with his own. Froka returned the kiss, lifting her hands to slide into his blonde locks. Grim felt a growl rise in his chest and held her tight to him. Already he felt the blood boiling in his veins for her. Surely she felt the effect she had on him. As their tongues wrestled one another, his hands were sliding down her back to rest on her bum, pressing her against him lest she not know the proof that he found her attractive. Her gasp into his mouth showed him that she knew now, if she hadn't before. After a few minutes, they pulled away from one another's mouth and their gaze met.

"Wow," Froka said, smiling and biting her bottom lip lightly.

"Aye. You've taken my good sense away, Froka. I shouldn't be encouraging this relationship, but I can't help it. I want you." He wouldn't admit aloud that she was the first woman he had wanted in this way in five years. Not since Aeri had passed away after birthing their daughter did he feel the quickening in his body. Not until he met Froka. "I only have a little time before I should get back to Azzada, but I would like to see you tonight. Perhaps once everyone's gone to sleep?"

Grim knew better, knew he shouldn't see her alone anymore, but he couldn't stop. He had to taste her again. If he had to sneak around to do it, he would.

"We'll see, Grim. I'm not sure if I can get away, but if everyone is asleep, I will come to your room tonight."

"I hope to see you then. Come, I'll walk you back."

Taking her hand, he took a deep breath and willed his body to return to normal. He didn't want to walk into town advertising what they had been doing. The short walk back and he had finally cooled off. Froka smiled and then went back toward the inn when they reached town again. He let her go and turned to go toward Azzada's crop field and get back to working there. They had two weeks to get to know these people and get involved in their lives. At least that long. He wasn't sure if Istar and the others had made it out before the Imperials had arrived, but he was confident he would have heard about it had they not. While they would be working along with the residents during their stay here in Dragon Bridge, it was nothing like going into battle or even sneaking through a fort. To them, it was a small vacation. Grim returned to help Azzada, a surprise to the man, and near the end of the day he was grinding grain in the small mill out behind the house. He saw the girl that had waited on them at the inn arrive and hug Azzada. He was surprised at that, but then it became clear that the man was her father. He watched and felt the tugging toward Kynesgrove, toward his own daughter. He sighed and wondered, not for the first time, what she was doing. Was she being good for Iddra? Had Iddra had her babe? Fjolnar wanted to get back to her, he knew that for sure, but he was dedicated to the cause, just as Grim was. Neither one was going to become a deserter and would wait until they were granted leave to return home. If she did give birth while they were gone, he was glad that at least she wasn't alone. Ganna and Gemma were there as well as the four men he'd hired five years ago for the mine, and Roggi. He was sure Roggi would make sure she was all right. He loved her like a brother likes one's sister.

He and Azzada had chatted about mundane things, neither one really getting into their pasts, but Grim could see there was already a formation of friendship that he hoped would further develop. From what he had seen that day he had been right about his assessment of Azzada's status in the town. There wasn't a particular "leader" of the town, but everyone seemed to come to him if they had problems. He said his goodbye to Azzada and returned to the inn. He was ready for a bath for if Froka came to him that night he wanted to be clean for her, not sweaty from working in the fields. After his bath, he went and had supper with the rest of the group. It was a nice meal at the end of a long day. He bet most of them hadn't really done this sort of work in a while. No matter, they were doing it for the mission and that was what was important.

"Make sure you turn in early, guys. Don't want to be dragging tomorrow." He teased and then headed to his room to prepare for bed.

Grim lay in bed for some time that night thinking about Froka and what she would look like underneath her clothes. By the time he heard the soft scratching at his door he had a strong desire to hold her, so much so that he opened the door and stepped behind it, letting her into his room, and stood there for a few moments to calm himself. Otherwise, he knew he would surely throw himself at her. Clenching his jaw, he shut the door lightly and turned his head to gaze at her. He knew they shouldn't be doing this, but he couldn't help it anymore. Taking a step toward her, he breathed deep and then his blue eyes roamed her body, fueling his already thriving desire. Swallowing, he stopped in front of her and slid one hand toward her, resting on her waist and pulling her closer.

"G-Grim?" she asked, her voice sounding as if she'd been running for an hour.

"Aye. All for you, Froka," he whispered to her, just before he touched his lips to hers in a tender kiss that soon turned into something more passionate.

The kiss only lasted a moment, but it was enough to get him even more heated. Before long he had picked Froka up and carried her to the bed that was right near her. He laid her upon it and then began to undress her, only then did he make love to her. A few hours later, he held her in his arms and cradled her head on his chest. He sighed and kissed the top of her head, one hand moving up and down her arm lightly. He felt her sigh and looked down at her, his hand stopping on her elbow.

"Froka?"

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it, Grim."

"Obviously it's not nothing, sweet. What is on your mind?"

"It's just," she started, then sighed again, turning her head to look up at him. "Well, what is this, Grim?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, I guess I was just wondering what we're doing."

"We are learning more about one another, Froka. Why do we need to define it more than that?"

"We don't. I just... Is this how it has to be? Sneaking around to steal a kiss?"

"Aye, for now. We have no idea what is next for us, but at least we'll have the nights, sweet."

"I suppose it will have to do for now." She smiled and then leaned up, kissing his lips lightly. "But you need to shave," she teased and then snuggled against his chest once more.

"I do, eh? You didn't seem to mind my stubble a little bit ago." He grinned and then rolled her onto her back once more, pressing against her.

Another hour later and he was standing with her near his closed door. It would be dawn soon and she needed to get back to her own bed. He sighed and held her in his arms once more, kissing her deeply before pulling back. He wore only pants, having left his shirt off. The chill in the air raised his flesh to goosebumps, but he didn't care. His blood was heated, that was what mattered. He didn't touch her again, afraid that he would take her back to bed. He waited until she had left his room and then lay on his bed again, breathing in the scents of their lovemaking and of Froka herself.

Knowing he wasn't about to get any sleep, he dressed the rest of the way and sat at the table in his room, looking over the map of the area. He wondered just how long he would have to wait to know how Istar and the others had fared. He supposed, since they were so close to the camp, that they would heard if anything had happened. The lack of information made him hopeful that the troops had disappeared before the Imperials had gotten there. He stood up and went to the window in his room, looking out. The light was just starting to appear and before long they would start another day in Dragon Bridge.

He shook his head and left his room, running a hand through his blond locks. Faida gave him a good morning, though he could tell from the tone of her voice she still distrusted him. Perhaps it came from the war currently going on. He was definitely a Nord and this was the Imperial area of Skyrim. Perhaps she just didn't like him because he was a Nord. He nodded to her and then went to sit down at a table. He figured that the rest of his group would be up soon and wasn't surprised that Fjolnar was the first one to appear. He clapped a hand on Grim's shoulder and said a good morning before sitting down next to him.

"Are you heading back to the fields today, Grim?" he asked.

"I am. Azzada is the one that everyone turns to when they need help in this town. He may not be an official leader of the town, but he is one in the townsfolk's eyes. You can tell. My best bet is to get close to him."

"Aye, it certainly seems like it." Fjolnar thanked Faida when she brought their food to them and then looked at Grim again, a sideways grin on his face. "You should probably come up with a story for the marks on your neck, friend," he teased.

"What?"

"I know what the marks mean, made a few of my own a time or fifty." At Grim's glare, he held up his hands. "Hey now, I ain't judging you. I'm just saying that the guys, at least, will know what the marks mean. That you have been getting friendly with the er, friendlies."

"Oh, uhm... Yeah, thank you. I appreciate that, Fjolnar."

Grim took the next half hour to come up with a story about how he got the hickies. He hadn't even realized that Froka had suckled upon his neck, but he supposed that he was quite busy at the moment concentrating on her body to have noticed. He buried his mouth inside the mug of mead to avoid Fjolnar's knowing glances. As far as he could tell, however, his friend didn't know who it was that gave him the marks. He wasn't about to say anything either. It wasn't that he didn't trust his friend to keep it a secret, he did. Fjolnar would keep his secrets no matter what. No, it was that he didn't want Fjolnar to think of Froka any different.

If Fjolnar knew about the affair, he would go above and beyond normal shield-brother behavior. It was how Fjolnar was made and Grim knew that. He wouldn't change anything in their group. Not yet. Well, nothing more than what had already been changed by his night spent with Froka. Eventually, the others got up out of bed and came out for breakfast. He got a lot of ribbing about the marks on his neck, but he told them all that they were nothing but bruises from working in the fields with Azzada. The appeared to buy it and for that he was grateful. The last thing he needed was for the entire group to start treating Froka and himself differently.

Froka herself was the last to rise and the first to leave the breakfast table. He shook his head, but when he saw her speak to Faida and disappear, he returned to his food. He would have to be careful how long his glances at Froka were. He didn't need anyone figuring out who it was he was having the affair with. Best to let them think it was one of the townspeople. His head was once again into the game of their mission when the door opened to reveal one of the officers at the Penitus Oculatus outpost. He didn't overtly watch the man, but he did follow him with his eyes. As he watched, the man went to the bar and sat down. He asked for a mug of ale and then sipped it when it was placed in front of him. Grim couldn't hear what was being said, but he got the sense that the two had affection for one another. There was a lot of eye lusting going on. He wondered who the man was and if he could get Faida to open up about the relationship. They might be able to use it later in their dealings with the Penitus Oculatus.

"Hey Kohl, who is that?"

"Oh, that's Gaius Maro. He's the commander of the outpost."

Grim thought about that information for a moment. Now, if that was the case, and he was sweet on Faida, then that meant that if there was ever a time that they needed something from Gaius, they could use Faida as motivation to go along with whatever it was that they would be asking for. He nodded, storing the information for later.

"Marte, I want you to see if you can get anything out of Faida that we might be able to use if we ever needed to. I'm not saying interrogate her, just in casual conversation see what you can find out about her relationship with this Gaius fellow."

"Sure, uh, Grim."

"Good. Now, I'm off to farm with Azzada. You should all be headed to your own posts as well. Good day." He smiled and then left the table, tossing coins on the wood to pay for his meal. "Don't forget to pay the woman for the food and drink," he warned, then turned and left. Before he opened the door, he looked over and caught eyes with Froka. He smiled at her, she returned it, shyly, and then turned to focus on her work.

Grim sighed and then exited the inn, heading toward Azzada's home. As he reached the fence gate, he paused and watched the man working the ground around the cabbage plants. Azzada seemed to be a hard worker and trustworthy, two qualities that were so difficult to find during these times of war. Most people that Grim had experienced were all about doing what they could to get ahead rather than just settling and doing what they were good at. Azzada had settled here in Dragon Bridge after finding his wife. They had decided to become farmers and raise a family. It was really quite like Grim himself, except that he hadn't settled down with a wife to start a family. He had planned on doing just that, however. It hadn't worked out that way, though.

Eir had sent him a letter saying she had found another. One of the last letters he'd gotten from his sister, Kenna, explained that Eir had married and had a child of her own. He was glad that at least she had found happiness. He had asked his sister in his return letter not to speak of it again and she hadn't. It hadn't come up in any of his family's other letters either, for which he was grateful. It wasn't that he was a sentimental fool who thought the girl should have waited for him, he wasn't a milk-drinker, but he had been under the impression that Eir would have waited until he had been gone for a year before deciding that he was not coming for her and finding another. Something told him, however, that it may have been her father's doing and she had just gone ahead with it. No one would really know, though, because he had no intention to write her again and ask. He shook his head and stepped through the gate, greeting Azzada warmly.

"Morning."

"You're back. Huh, I didn't think I'd see you again, to be honest."

"I'm a surprise all around I guess. So, what would you have me do today?"

"Well, you can start with finishing up the grain grinding. Got three more stacks of wheat to do."

"Very well, Azzada." Grim nodded and then walked past the man and headed toward the rear of the house where the small grain mill was located. He hummed to himself as he ground the wheat into grain, the hour and a half passing quickly by. When he was finished, he put the last of the grain in a sack and tied it, then set it against the mill. He turned to see Azzada watching him.

"Oh, uh, hey."

"You do good work, Grim. It's a relief not having to worry about anything else but what I'm doing."

"Well, I need the work and you looked like you could use the help. It worked out for both of us."

"That it did. Thank you."

"You're welcome. The grain's all done. What would you like me to do next?"

"I was thinking of heading out to do some hunting. Would you like to come with?"

"Sure thing. I'll get a bow and meet you back here in what, five minutes?"

"That seems good. See you then." Azzada turned and left Grim alone, heading back inside his house, presumably to get his own hunting gear. Grim went back to the inn and to the chest that he had put his stuff into and was getting his bow and quiver when Fjolnar came in and shut the door.

"So, who is it? Who's managed to stir your loins?"

"Come on, Fjolnar. I don't have time for this. I'm going hunting with Azzada."

"Ah, so you won't even tell me, eh? She must be married then. Is it Azzada's wife?"

"No! Fjolnar, out of my way. Please drop this. 'Tis no one married, all right?"

"Not a married woman? Well then, why would you keep her secret from me? Ain't I your best friend?"

"Aye, that you are, but that doesn't mean I'm going to tell you everything, man."

"Well, I see how it is then."

"Please Fjolnar, just drop it for now. I'll tell you when I can. I swear."

"I guess I'll take that. At least for now. I'll keep you to that, though." He punched Grim lightly in the shoulder. "I'm glad that someone has brought you out of your funk, though. So whoever she is, I'm grateful for her."

"Thanks. Now, I'll see you later. I'm going hunting. Shouldn't you be back at the mill anyway?"

"Aye, I'm heading there. Just saw you come in here and was curious about who the woman was. Since you won't tell me yet, I guess I'll have to focus on work. Later." Fjolnar smiled at his friend one more time, then left the room and headed out of the inn.

Grim let out a sigh and realized just how difficult it was to be in a leadership position and attempt to have a private life. It wasn't easy at all. Everyone seemed to want to know your business. Not something that he enjoyed since he was normally a private person. He lived in a small village outside of Windhelm and stayed pretty much to himself. Even among family. He wasn't about to blab to anyone about his early relationship with Froka. It was between them and them alone. He finished getting his gear and left the inn himself, heading back to Azzada's place. Once they were set, they started to head out to search for game. They were quiet for some time before the man beside him spoke up. Grim looked over as he heard him talk.

"You remember I said I was raised in Skyrim?" At Grim's nod, he went on. "I was an orphan at the age of six and lived on the streets in Markarth. I lived off whatever scraps I could get and some days there was nothing to be gotten. It wasn't an easy existence, but one I survived. All thanks to an old Nord warrior named Logrolf. The guy took me in and gave me shelter, clothes on my back and two meals a day. I felt as if the Divines themselves had grabbed me up and made me their prodigal son. But then.. Things in Markarth got worse. An extremist group called The Forsworn started to make a lot of trouble for the residents. Logrolf got me out of there to save me. I was fourteen then." He crouched and looked at Grim. "I wandered Skyrim for two years before I met Michel. Once I did, I never wanted anything else more. She became my life."

"I had someone like that once." Grim said in a whisper. "I never got the chance to wed her, but... She did give me my beautiful daughter. Lifa is back home with my cousin in Kynesgrove." He looked at the bow he held in his hands and sighed. Thinking of Aeri made his heart ache again, but at least now he could talk about her. He wasn't keeping it all locked in.

"Sounds like she was something special," Azzada said softly, looking out around the forest for any sort of game they could find.

"She was a surprise, but you're right. She was special." He did the same as Azzada did, his blue eyes searching.

Finally, Grim spotted a small herd of deer ahead grazing in the forest. Azzada nodded to show he had seen them as well and they started to creep closer to the herd. It was a slow, agonizing progression, but eventually they made it close enough to the deer without alerting them to their presence. Both of them drew their bows and let the arrows fly toward a deer. The rest of the herd scattered, but one of the bucks lay on the ground, two arrows puncturing its heart. Grim smiled as they made their way up to the deer.

"Great shot, Azzada."

"Same to you, Grim."

They field dressed the deer to make it easier to carry back to the house, but left the heart and liver inside the deer, as those would be cooked and eaten as well as the meat on the animal. Once that was done, the two men grabbed the deer legs and carried it back. By the time they had returned, it was nearing sunset. Grim, however, offered to help him skin and prepare the venison. Azzada thanked him for the help and the two got to work. It took some time, but before long they had plenty of meat and even some antlers to trade to the alchemist in Solitude. Grim wouldn't admit to anyone in Dragon Bridge, no matter how close he got to them, that he would not go to Solitude. He was a Stormcloak, yet another thing he couldn't tell anyone, and that would surely be a death sentence for him if he did enter the gates.

Once the deer was taken care of, Grim said good night to Azzada and Michel, then went back to the inn. He had been gone all day so he hadn't even been able to see Froka at lunchtime, but he was confident that she would come to his room that night. His imagination had been nothing to seeing her for real and he was eager to see it again. Once more he took a bath that night. Blood tended to make you stink if it wasn't washed off and for whatever reason, the deer around Skyrim had especially stinky blood.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Over the next few days, everyone went about their own "job" and gathered information however they could get it. They also got to know the townsfolk and those people got to know each one of the group. Faida had stopped staring daggers at them whenever they ate their meals inside the inn, had even actually initiated a conversation with Marte. It was a mundane conversation, but it was a step. It meant that they were succeeding at their mission. It was the why that got Grim's mind working. Why did Istar think it was important to be liked by these people? Did they have some sort of pull in Solitude or with the Imperials themselves that would help the war? He didn't know, and nothing that he had learned had shed any light on it. He had learned a few things about Dragon Bridge, however. First, that soldiers came through here all the time, of both factions.

The first time it had happened it was a troop of Imperials. They stayed at the inn, had a meal and drink, then left. Without paying Faida. He'd heard about it from Froka that night in his bed. Faida had been grumpy and mumbled to herself angrily for the rest of the day. Grim put it out of his mind until another troop of soldiers, this time Stormcloaks, came through and also had a meal and drink at the inn. They also left without paying Faida. They were lucky that the Stormcloaks hadn't recognized them or their entire mission would have been a bust. He spoke to Azzada the next day about it while working the small field of crops.

"How often does it happen?"

"That they eat and drink at the inn and don't pay? Every damn time. It wouldn't be so bad, their raucous behavior, if they paid for what they took, but they never do." Azzada tensed and looked over toward the inn on the other side of the road and sighed.

"Azzada?" Grim asked.

"It's all right, Grim. I'm fine." He returned to his weeding.

"You don't look all right, man. What's wrong?"

Grim could see that the man was debating about something in his head, perhaps if he should say something or not, but in the end he would start to talk and afterward Grim's hands were balled into fists and he wanted to find the first Imperial soldier, whether it was the one responsible or not, and teach him a lesson about the proper way to treat a girl.

"That's awful, Azzada. Is Julienne all right?"

"I think she is, at least she says she is. I don't know, Grim. I just don't know. I mean, the man didn't get too far before being stopped, but still. It's my little girl."

"I know just how you feel. Mine is only five, but I wouldn't be able to let it rest were anything to happen to her."

Grim rested his hand on Azzada's shoulder and squeezed lightly, then dropped it, returning to his field work. His mind was thinking over all of this, however. The next group, whether it be Imperial or Stormcloak, to come through and do that to Faida he would follow out of town and ensure they paid for what they had taken. He would speak with the rest of the group later, or perhaps just Fjolnar. The more he thought about it as he worked in the field the more he thought that having just one or two people knowing what he was up to would be better. Less people to get in the way if things went sideways. Besides, if he went by himself, he could let the wolf run a bit as he tracked them which would satisfy the need inside of him to be free. He found himself actually growling a little bit as he worked on the idea of running in the forests. He hadn't had much time to himself in the past few days which meant he hadn't run at all. The wolf was beating at his insides, wanting to be out.

He worked in the field for most of the day, but at about three in the afternoon Azzada said there wasn't much to do and he could take the rest of the day off. Grim thanked the man and then decided to go fishing down at the river. After getting a fish pole and some bait, he started to walk down to the water. It wasn't long before he heard steps behind him and smiled when he smelled the unmistakable scent that always accompanied a goat. It must have been Clinton and his pet goat, Lucky. He hadn't actually spoken to the boy, yet, but Azzada talked about him enough that he felt he knew the kid already. As he reached the water's edge, he placed the pole on the ground and the bucket of bait on the other side of him.

"Would you like to fish with me?" he asked the boy.

"Pa says I shouldn' talk to strangers."

"Well, I've been working for your Pa for almost a week now. Does that make me a stranger?"

"Hmm, I guess not."

"I'm Helgrim Frost-Blood, but you can call me Grim. Something I only let my friends do, you see?"

"Grim." He nodded. "I'm Clinton and this is my goat, Lucky."

Grim had forgotten the goat and when he looked down, half his bait was gone due to the beast. He quickly picked up the pail and shook his head, smiling. Then he picked up the pole from the ground and handed it to Clinton.

"Nice to meet you, Clinton and Lucky. Looks like he already had his lunch. How about we catch dinner?" he asked the boy.

Clinton took the fishing pole and sat down on a rock. Grim instructed him how to bait the hook and then toss it into the river. In this spot, there was a small eddy and he explained that the fish liked spots like that. He was patient and understanding that Clinton was only ten years old, but was also surprised that on the second toss out the boy caught a fish. He helped him haul it back in and smiled proudly.

"There, you see? I told you it would work. A very fine fish indeed," praised Grim.

"Thanks! Wait 'til Pa hears 'bout this!"

"Easy there, lad. Let's see if we might not catch a few more, eh?" Grim put the fish they had already caught in the protected bucket, casting a glance at Lucky who was busy munching on the harsh foliage near the river. He shook his head and then re-baited the hook and let Clinton toss it out to the water.

"Are you a soldier?" he asked softly, surprising Grim who froze, but then realized it was just a child's curiosity. There were soldiers going through Dragon Bridge every couple of days.

"Why do you ask that? Do I seem like a soldier to you?"

"No, it's just... I wanna be a soldier when I grow up." He nodded, watching the fishing line. "Pa says I'm too young to fight in the war, though."

"And he's absolutely right. I'd be saying the same thing were you my boy. You'd have to be at least five years older, lad."

"It don't matter much, though. Lucky and I keep our streets safe by patrollin' 'em."

Grim looked down at the water, thoughtful. If his daughter was of age and asked to fight for the Stormcloaks, how would he react to that? There was no discrimination among the armies in Skyrim. Anyone who was fit enough and willing to fight was allowed. Had his daughter been ten years older, and asked to campaign, would he allow her? He didn't know, but he doubted it. Being a father changed your thoughts. Before Lifa was born, he would have let any child of his join up and fight for Skyrim's rights, but now... Now he would not allow her anywhere near this life.

"The life of a soldier's not so easy, lad."

"Maybe not, but it's excitin'! They get to travel all over Skyrim and even get to stay up late." Then he felt a tug on the end of his line and jumped up with a wide grin. "Oh! I got another fish!"

Grim shook his head and helped Clinton pull the fish in to shore. He had to smile at the thought of how much the boy wanted to be a soldier and how naive he was about what their life was like. Once the fish was added to the other two in the bucket already, Grim turned to Clinton.

"I could show you a few moves, if you like. I've learned a few things during my travels with my friends."

"Would you?! That'd be awesome!" Clinton stood in front of him, looking very much like the excited ten year old he was.

"We can start tomorrow, all right?"

"This is gonna be great!"

"Right. Let's head back to your house. You can show your Pa all the fish you caught for dinner." Grim handed the bucket to Clinton and rested his hand on the boy's shoulder. They walked back up the hill and toward Azzada's farmhouse.

"Pa! Look what I caught!" Clinton ran ahead and threw open the door, showing off the fish in the bucket. Grim watched Lucky make his way over to the chicken nests and start to eat the straw. He shook his head and walked into the house, shutting the door behind him.

"I hope it was all right, Azzada. I was heading down to do some fishing and Clinton followed me, so I let him do the fishing. Go ahead, keep the fish. He caught them all."

"It's fine, Grim. Come, why don't you stay for dinner? You helped him catch the fish, after all," Azzada said as he watched his son put the bucket on the table. His wife, Michel, bless her heart, shook her head and shooed her son away to wash up.

"Yes, please stay. There's more than enough for all of us. Julienne will be eating at the inn," Michel spoke softly.

"All right, if you twist my arm about it." He laughed and then took off his boots, not wanting to drag mud into the house. "I can help you clean them."

"Nonsense. You're a guest. Sit down and have a mug of ale. Azzy, see to his comfort, won't you?" she said to her husband who ducked his head and smiled, but agreed. He led Grim to the rear of the house where they had a table with chairs set up.

"Don't mind her, Grim. She likes to do things her own way."

"Azzy?"

"Don't judge, man. I'm sure you've had a pet name given to you before." He chuckled.

"Aye, but not like that." He winked playfully. "Do you have some cards?" he asked as he brought the mug to his mouth for a drink.

Azzada did have a deck of cards and brought them out, shuffling before dealing. Grim couldn't believe that he had been brought into the house as a guest, but he supposed that he had done what he was sent to do. He had gotten close to Azzada and his family. He hated the way it made him feel, too. Deceiving them this way. They didn't now he was a soldier. For the first time since he had arrived, he wanted to come clean to them, but unfortunately he couldn't. It would surely undo whatever they had already gotten accomplished. So he had dinner with Azzada and his family that night.

He returned to the inn later than usual and his group had already pretty much dispersed to bed. Only Fjolnar and Jax were sitting up around the fire smoking a pipe back and forth. He nodded to them when he entered and took a seat close to them.

"Where were you all evening, Grim?" Fjolnar asked.

"Having dinner with Azzada and his family," Grim answered with a grin as he took the pipe and puffed on it before passing it off to Jax.

"Well, well," Jax spoke up with a smile of his own and took the pipe back.

"Okay, okay. I had gone fishing earlier and the man's son followed me down to the water. I figured I could teach him something about fishing. The boy caught all three fish and so I told him to take them home. He earned them. Then Michel invited me to dinner. I couldn't very well turn them down, you know? So I went along with it. One good thing to come out of this, however, is that I learned today that those soldiers we see coming through? They're leaving without paying Faida here. Not only that." He paused and looked around. "One of them about three weeks ago now attempted to have his way with Julienne." Grim sat up and took the pipe back as it was passed to him.

"I can't believe the guy got away. If it had been me, I would have taught him a lesson right there and then." He shrugged. "But it seems that Azzada is much more peaceful about things than I am." He chuckled. "It does give me something to do, however. Perhaps if I could help Faida get the money she's owed from the next few groups to come through here it might make us look more favorable in her eyes, eh?"

"Damn, Grim. You ain't kidding? I have to say, even I feel strongly that if I had been the girl's father the man responsible would be lucky to survive with his life," Fjolnar said, having a soft spot in his heart for Lifa and knowing that's where Grim's mind had gone.

"And the boy, Clinton, thinks he wants to be a soldier." Grim shook his head. "It was very difficult not to tell him that I was a soldier and that our life is a very, very harsh one. I did try to explain that it wasn't an easy life. You know he thinks that the soldier's life is traveling and staying up late?"

"Suppose that's the age, Grim. He's what, twelve?" Jax put in.

"Ten, actually. Says he's doing his part by patrolling the town, though. With his pet goat, Lucky." He shrugged. "I don't know, but I did offer to teach him a few moves. Perhaps he will be useful if we need to stay hidden?"

Grim was thinking about the next time a Stormcloak party came into town. It would be best to make themselves scarce to reduce the risk of being spotted by those that they knew, but didn't know what they were there for. Less risk of having their cover blown. Clinton could come and tell him when the troop was gone.

"Sounds like a plan, Grim." Fjolnar said, motioning to the side. "I'm gonna get ready for bed now, I think. Can I have a word, Grim?"

"Aye. Night, Jax. Make sure you get sleep." He clapped his comrade on the shoulder and then walked over toward his room and opened the door, letting Fjolnar in and then shutting the door. "What's up, Fjolnar?"

"The courier came through today, Grim." He paused. "We got letters from home." He swallowed. "Grim... It's Iddra."

Then he handed Grim the letter from Koli who had arrived from Hammerfell without trouble. Grim took the letter, shakily, and sat down on his bed. Fjolnar sat down at the table and sighed. Grim opened the seal and read it over. Koli wrote that Iddra had gone into labor two days previous to the letter being sent. Overall it probably had been about three weeks ago now with the time it had taken the courier to get here. The letter said that Sif and Kenna had helped Iddra with the birth, but that while Iddra had survived the birth, albeit weakly, the babe had not. A horrible thing for anyone to take, let alone a woman that had carried the babe for nine months and looked forward to it's birth. As he looked up from the letter, he saw the paleness in Fjolnar's face and the emotion just under the surface. He wet his lips before speaking.

"Take the time off. Return home, comfort your wife, mourn your child. You aren't worth anything to me like this, Fjolnar. Your mind is in Kynesgrove, not here. If anyone has a problem, I'll take responsibility. You are needed there."

Grim stood up and held out his hand for his friend and Fjolnar took it, then brought Grim in for a manly hug before stepping back and nodding.

"I thank you, Grim. Is there anything you would like me to take back with me?" he asked, emotion evident in his voice.

"I'll have a letter for you in the morning. Sleep on it, Fjolnar. You have a long journey back."

"Thank you again. I'll see you in the morn then."

Fjolnar left and Grim sat on his bed once more. His brother, sister-in-law and sister had arrived to Kynesgrove safely. A relief they didn't have to go through the same trouble he had when he'd come to Skyrim. Surviving a shipwreck and bitter cold temperatures with little knowledge of the cold wasn't easy, but he had survived. He was confident that Koli could have made it and probably Kenna, too, but Sif was an unknown. He'd seen her around town when they'd grown up, of course, but since there were years between him and Koli, he hadn't gotten to know Sif at all. If she was good for Koli, that was all that mattered. He was more concerned about Kenna. She was only ten years old and if anything happened in Kynesgrove related to the war, and she was hurt, he would never forgive himself. He figured that Kenna and Lifa would become fast friends, however. Kenna enjoyed running through the forest just as much as his daughter did, apparently.

He was brought out of his thoughts by a knock on his door and bade whomever it was to enter. He let out a soft sigh when he saw it was Froka. The woman he shouldn't be involved with. She was under his command, it was wrong on so many levels, but he couldn't help it. She was under his skin now.

"Come in and close the door, Froka. I have missed seeing your lovely face all day." He rose and already started removing his clothes, eager to hold her in his arms.

Froka came into the room and shut the door, as he'd told her to, and then watched as he started to remove his clothing. She wet her suddenly dry lips and then moved her hands to her own clothes to remove them. As eager as he must have been to have her in his arms, she was just as eager to hold him. He had quickly become something she didn't want to lose and she would do whatever it took to keep him. When they were both nude, Grim lifted her and carried her to his bed. He laid her down and then moved beside her, pulling the blankets up around them. His hands moved to smooth the hair away from her face. Then he lowered his head and claimed her lips with his own in a slow, passionate kiss. His free hand moved down her shoulder, her arm, past her hand, coming to rest on her hip. He squeezed her lightly and then pulled back to look into her eyes.

"You do realize how wrong this is, right Froka?" he whispered to her.

"I do, Grim, but I can't help it. I look forward to our nights together."

"As do I, Froka. As do I."

Sometime later, as Grim held her sleeping form close against his body he looked at her and wondered just what they were doing. Was he "in love" with her? Did he want to spend the rest of his life with her? He couldn't answer that right now. He had to keep in mind what they were doing. That they were working on gaining freedom for Skyrim. It wasn't just about being able to worship Talos without being arrested, it was about getting the Imperials and Thalmor out of Skyrim. Ulfric may have harsh beliefs, but so did a majority of the Nords that were native to Skyrim. Even those that had fled their country to avoid persecution for their religion. Grim certainly fell into this category. He had a soft spot for children and women, but if it came right down to it, he could be just as harsh as the Nords that were raised here in Skyrim.

In the early morning hours, after making love to Froka once more, he kissed her and let her leave his room. She needed to be in her bed before anyone awoke. They didn't need anyone to find out about them just yet. Perhaps after this mission was over. He went back to bed for a few more hours before he woke up to start his day. He dressed and left his room, heading to have breakfast with those that were awake already. He saw Fjolnar and nodded. He knew his cousin's husband would be getting ready to head out and he didn't blame him one bit. He would have done the same had it been his wife that had lost a babe.

"Morning, Fjolnar, Rhoni." He gave a nod to the other person at the table and sat down next to his best friend. "What have we got for breakfast today?"

"Looks like eggs and toast. If you ask nice Faida might give you some butter," Rhoni teased and put a bite of egg in his mouth.

"I see. Good thing I like dry toast." Grim winked and then put some eggs and toast on a plate and began to eat. "Fjolnar's heading back toward Windhelm today," Grim said softly, looking at Rhoni.

"I figured. Saw him getting his horse prepped earlier when I stepped outside for a leak. Ride safe, man."

"Don't worry about me, Rhoni. I've had to hide from Imperials before." He laughed lightly and looked at Grim. "Will you walk out with me, Grim?"

Grim had just finished his breakfast and nodded, tossing coins on the table to pay for the meal, and stood up.

"Course. Gotta make sure Tilly's got her breakfast, too." He pulled on a cloak and hat and stepped outside with Fjolnar. The wind picked up and he felt the chill. It was getting colder. They walked around the inn toward the back where the stables were located.

"I appreciate you letting me go, Grim. I have a feeling that had it been Istar or even Bjorn I wouldn't have been able to go back."

"I know you'll come back. They don't." Grim smiled and then looked around before pulling out a sealed envelope and handing it toward Fjolnar. "That's the letter for my brother. Make sure it only goes to him. Not his wife. Not my sister."

"Aye, I'll make sure, Grim. You have my word."

"Thanks, Fjolnar, and you know you have my condolences on your loss. I may not know the loss of a child, but I do know the loss of a loved one. It is not an easy thing to deal with."

"That means a lot to me, Grim. Thank you." He tucked the letter away securely and then mounted Larth, turning the gelding toward the road. "I'll send word when I reach Kynesgrove and let you know what is going on. I hope to not be gone too long."

"Don't worry, Fjolnar. Come back when you can." Fjolnar nodded to him and nudged the gelding forward, turning after getting to the front of the inn so that he went down the hill toward the bridge. It was safer than going near Solitude.

He waited until his friend was out of sight and then went back to the stables to make sure the other horses had their grain before heading back inside the warm inn. By then everyone else was awake and eating breakfast. His eyes rested on Froka briefly before he smiled at the group as a whole. He sat with them until it was time for them to go their separate ways. Then he headed out and across the road to Azzada's house to see what the man needed help with that day. He was let inside by Michel and told to sit down.

"Azzy's not ready yet. He got up late this morning and he's grumbling about it."

Grim smiled and shook his head. He understood that feeling well. Sometimes you just get up on the wrong side of the bed. He took this time to watch Michel move around the home. She was not native to Skyrim either since she was a Breton, but she had settled in this area and survived. She was a handsome woman in her own right with a medium build. There were lines on her face, but he gathered that was from dealing with not only the children, but also Azzada. Speaking of which, he turned as he heard the man enter the room and he stood up, his hat in his hand.

"Morning," Grim said briskly.

"It sure is," snapped Azzada, but then he sighed. "Sorry. Come on, let's get going." He went to his wife and kissed her softly. "Won't be back until supper. Make sure Clinton gets that wood pile cut up today. There's a storm brewing."

"I love you, Azzy. I'll make sure that he cuts the wood. Stay safe."

"I will. Love you, too. Come on, Grim. Let's go." Azzada walked out of the house and Grim followed.

"What's on the agenda today, Azzada?"

"We're going to set a trap line in the woods. Last time I was out there I noticed a lot of rabbit sign. Winter's on its way and we're gonna need the extra meat. I'm not sure if supplies will always make it here."

"That's fine with me. I'll grab my bow in case we see any along the way."

"All right."

Grim headed into the inn and to his room. As he stepped inside, he heard an exchange in the main room of the inn and cursed himself for eavesdropping, but he couldn't help it.

"Oh Gaius, are you sure you gotta go on this trip?" It was Faida, the innkeeper.

"Faida, sweetheart, I'll be fine. I need to do this. My father needs information and that's what I signed on for." That was Gaius, the Penitus Oculatus commander.

"I still don't like it, Gaius. What if you get held up by bandits or worse?"

"You hafta stop worrying, Faida. I'll be back before winter sets in, don't you worry."

"You'd better. I'd hate to deal with the cold without you."

At this point Grim shook himself free of the conversation and grabbed his bow and quiver, then hurried out of the inn and back to Azzada. Once they were both ready, they set out over the hills to the trees. It was a nice, quiet walk through the woods. They were comfortable enough with one another to understand how the other operated. Grim tended to walk a little faster than Azzada, but his new friend didn't seem to mind. They set the traps for the rabbits and Grim agreed that there was plenty of sign that they were numerous in the area. As they walked over a rise, he stopped and drew the bow up. In front of him was one of the biggest elk he had ever seen. About to let the arrow fly, Azzada's hand on his arm stopped him. He turned to look at the man.

"That's Thorik. He's the oldest elk around here. We've given him a pass and try to get people to understand it as we do. He's special to the area and so we leave him be." Grim lowered his bow and let it rest at his side.

"Thorik eh? He's certainly majestic. Reminds me of a wolf I know."

"A wolf? You are a surprising man, Grim. Come, let's go this way."

"Well, to be fair, it sought me out, not the other way around." Grim laughed softly and followed Azzada. "You know how you get that feeling on the back of your neck, like someone's watching you? That's what it was like. Haven't seen it for a while, though."

"That's one creature you don't want to meet, for sure."

Grim made a noise of acknowledgement and then followed Azzada. After they had been out in the forest for a few hours, they had set the traps and had even gotten a couple pheasants and a rabbit to take home. Azzada turned to look at Grim.

"You're pretty good with that bow, Grim."

"My dad makes a living as a hunter in Hammerfell and I grew up going on trips with him. I learned how to track, how to trap, and how to shoot all before I was nine years old. I'm the eldest and he's done it with all of my siblings, too. We're an outdoors type of family."

"My good fortune then, to have you as friend and with me. Thanks."

Grim gave a grin, then walked alongside Azzada back through the woods toward the town. They were not hurried, taking slow steps and enjoying the time out and away from the crop fields. Grim could tell that Azzada liked it out here almost as much as he seemed to like working with the crops. It wasn't really a surprise, since he grew up as a farmer in Markarth thanks to Logrolf. That made him wonder about the man.

"Tell me about Logrolf?"

"Hmm, well, he was an old man when he took me in and he's only gotten older. Poor guy is so stubborn he won't take my advice and move here with Michel and I. I suppose that just makes me love him even more. He's determined to stay in Markarth. He says he was born there, he'll die there if that's what the Divines have planned for him. Of course, I don't want that to happen for some time yet, but I fear that with the increase in Forsworn activity, he will be killed during an attack on the city. It's awful. Between the civil war and the Forsworn, no place in Skyrim is safe."

Grim frowned as he heard his friend speak about Logrolf and then about Skyrim itself. He had to agree that it did seem like there was truly no place safe any longer.

"Perhaps he'll change his mind soon. You never know."

"Perhaps. Come on, let's get home."

It wasn't long until the next group of soldiers came through town. The next day a small group, only three riders, came into Dragon Bridge wearing their Imperial armor. They arrived while Grim was still working in the field, but he heard their horses before he saw them. When he leaned on the fence and looked out, he could see that they stopped at the inn. Their horses looked beat, like they'd been ridden a fair distance and weren't rested much. As Grim watched, they ignored the horses and walked inside the inn as if they owned the place. He frowned and felt his body tensing as he watched this. Just another reason to hate the Imperials. He looked over his shoulder at Azzada and sighed.

"I can't ignore the beasts. I need to make sure they at least get water."

"Go on. I understand. I'll send Clinton to help."

"Thank you."

Grim went across the road to where the three horses were breathing hard and swishing tails. The steam was rising from their bodies as they stood there, one of them was already starting to shiver. Grim was shaking his head looking at this when Clinton arrived.

"Fetch a bucket, lad. We'll get these guys watered."

Grim grabbed a bucket as well and filled it at the water trough, then walked over to the first horse, giving it a small drink of water.

"Only small drinks, though. Too much and they'll get a belly ache, and we don't want that."

"How could they just leave 'em here like this, Grim?" Clinton asked as he gave a small drink of water to the horse next to Grim.

"They just don't care, son. Seems like a lotta people these days don't care much about the little things, just looking at the bigger picture, you know?"

"It don't seem right."

"It's not, Clinton, but there's little we can do about it other than help out the beasts when we can. They are our best friends, as you know." He smiled at Clinton, looking over to the side of the inn at Lucky who was munching on twigs from a snowberry bush.

"They are. Lucky's been there since I can remember. I tell 'im everythin'. He always listens, too."

"I have a horse who fights alongside me. She's taken down more wolves than I have."

"Really?"

"Aye, but I didn't train her to do it. She chose to fight. For some time I worried that she would get hurt, but now I understand that she's tough, just like me."

"Do you think Lucky'll ever fight for me?"

"No telling, Clinton, but let's not put him to the test, eh? Make sure you stay out of trouble for a few more years yet, all right?" Grim smiled and ruffled the boy's hair lightly before settling back to the task of watering the horses.

"All right."

The two of them made sure that, through small sips, the horses were sufficiently watered and within reach of grass to munch on. Grim told Clinton to retrieve a few blankets from inside the stable. They could at least put something over the horses while they stood there to keep them warm. The weather was getting colder and after a run like they most certainly had had they were sure to get chilled if they weren't careful. After they were blanketed, he and Clinton went back across the road to the farm and Grim started to work the ground again, his focus on the inn, however. It was nearing sunset when the soldiers exited the inn, stumbling slightly. He rolled his eyes as he realized that they were drunk. Poor horses, he thought. He was already finishing up, so he started across the road as the first of the soldiers reached the horses that were resting comfortably.

"Oy! What's this now?" the man called drunkenly, looking about.

"Took care of the horses for you, sir," Grim said politely as he approached.

"Well then, take the damned blankets off them. We're to leave immediately."

"Aye, sir. That'll just be a gold coin for the care."

"Excuse me?"

"The water and blanketing, sir. 'Tis a gold coin."

Grim played the stablelad, bowing his head slightly. The soldier came over to him, wavering, and narrowed his eyes at him.

"Nonsense. No one asked you to take care of the horses. You'll get nothing out of me. Get out of my way, you bastard."

Grim didn't resist as the man tossed him to the side and began to throw the blankets off the horses. The horses snorted and tossed their heads, but then stood at attention, knowing it was better than fighting their masters.

"They needed the care, sir. Please, one gold coin is all I ask. 'Tis to feed my family."

"Your family can rot for all I care. Next time, ask before doing it. Out of my way."

The soldier kicked the horse into motion and took off, swerving from side to side. Grim shook his head, and watched the other two follow him down the road. Here was their chance. Their chance to get payback on the Imperials and make sure that Dragon Bridge residents get what they're due. He knew he had little time to act and only went into the inn long enough to give a message to Jax that he would be back soon. Then he left the building and hurried into the surrounding forest and waited for darkness to fall. Only then would he enact the next stage of his plan.

Once it was dark, Grim closed his eyes after making sure he hadn't been followed and allowed the change to come over him. He opened the blue gaze and saw everything through the wolf's eyes. He lolled his tongue in a wolfish smile and began to track the small troop of soldiers, keeping to the shadows and foliage whenever he could. It didn't take long to find them for they hadn't gotten too far across the bridge before they decided to make camp. He surveyed the area as the wolf for a while before he padded down to their camp. They were all snoring loudly and it was very easy for Grim to creep up and grab one of them by the shoulder. The man stirred awake just as Grim got him to the edge of the trees and saw the wolf dragging him. He was about to scream, but the wolf placed his teeth around the man's throat and he lost all sense, froze stiff. Grim then finished dragging him away.

Once he had the man far enough from the camp, he moved behind him and changed back to himself. He looked down at the man and shook his head at how scared he seemed. Before he could speak, Grim quickly put a piece of cloth around his mouth to keep him quiet. Then he used a bit of rope and tied him up to a tree. He smiled at the man and walked away, back toward the camp. They were still snoring, not knowing that one of their own had been dragged away. He could have probably dragged the other away and done the same to him, but he wanted to show them that he was not just a useless stablelad. He had fight and wouldn't let them run roughshod over him. He pulled out his sword and shield, then walked closer to the camp.

"Hey there!" he called out to them. "Wake up you lazy bastards!" He continued to call to them until after ten minutes he heard an answer from a tent.

"What's going on?"

"I've come to collect what is owed to the people of Dragon Bridge."

"What?"

The soldier that Grim had spoken with earlier appeared and ran a hand through his hair. He wore no armor, having taken it off to sleep. Grim was surprised the man had been coherent enough to be able to do so, but then he put the thought out of his mind and focused on the matter at hand. He was here to get the gold for Faida and Clinton, for he never intended to keep the gold coin for taking care of the horses for himself, but to give it to the boy.

"You had food and drink at the inn and didn't pay for it. Your horses were cared for and you didn't pay for it. I'm here to make sure you pay your debts."

"Fool! What matter is a few measly coins?"

"It means a great deal for a small town such as ours."

"We're soldiers. We don't need to pay for trivial things. We're keeping Skyrim safe."

"Really?" Grim noticed the other tent moving and knew the other man was waking up. He readied himself, having entered the camp now. "How safe do you think the people feel when they see you coming and worry how much food and drink they'll lose without earning a cent for it? That doesn't seem like you're keeping them safe by doing that. The less money they make the harder it is for them to survive. We all depend on the money made by travelers coming through town. Here you are thumbing your nose up at all that."

"What's going on, sir?" the man in the tent asked the one talking to Grim.

"Just a fool who wishes to be jailed for interferring with Imperial business."

"Imperial business? Pah! That's a joke. You're all Thalmor dogs! Leashed tightly until the Thalmor let you go on the people of Skyrim."

"Be careful what you say, lad. That could be taken as traitorous talk."

"You're the traitor! You don't even belong here in Skyrim!" Grim watched as the man turned slightly into his tent and pulled out his own sword, seeing that Grim was obviously prepared for battle.

"Jenks? Rathe?"

"Here, sir. Not sure where Rathe is at."

"Oh, he's probably the one my wolf hauled off into the forest. Did you really think I'd come alone?"

"Jenks, check it out." The man in the tent walked out and went to the other tent and searched around.

"He ain't here, but there's tracks. Shit!"

"What is it, Jenks?"

"There's wolf tracks, for sure, sir, but they're... Huge!" The soldier in charge looked at Grim and narrowed his eyes.

"What sorcery is this?"

"There are such beings, lads, and it is a friend of mine. He'll attack should I give the order. All it would take to keep him from tearing your throats out is a simple ten gold coins. Then I will let you alone and even let your other man go. Deny me and I'll let my wolf friend have his way with you all."

Grim stood confident in his words and the fact that they would do the smart thing in the end, even if they were sleep-deprived and half sober. He wasn't let down.

"Fine! Jenks, get over here." The man handed his subordinate a small pouch of coins and instructed him to give it to Grim. Jenks nodded and walked toward Grim, tossing it over when he was close enough. He didn't want to get too close lest that huge wolf come down and attack him.

"Thank you. From now on, I expect every Imperial soldier to pay for what he takes. I'll know if they don't. Oh, and remember to care for your animals. They do more than you realize. Good night."

Grim then backed away slowly and when he was near the forest, turned and hurried to the shadows. He put his sword away and attached the shield to his back, watching the pair down below. They were donning their armor and weapons and Grim shook his head. He growled under his breath and closed his eyes, letting the change happen. Once he was wolf once more, he stood at a small knoll and lifted his muzzle to the sky. He let out a low, long howl into the night. The power and size behind his wolfish voice was evident. He looked down from where he stood and saw the two men looking upward at him. Then he disappeared into the forest. He headed to where the man was tied up and growled low as he approached. The man was scared stiff and he used his jaws to snap the ropes free, then he bared his teeth at the man once before jumping away into the night. It would be just ten minutes until his comrades found him, but the man wouldn't be a soldier ever again, something that Grim would enjoy finding out later on that he'd had a hand in that. Or paw.

That night he didn't spend with Froka because he had gotten back to the inn quite late since he'd gone running for some time before going back. When he did, all he wanted was to collapse into bed and sleep. Besides, a night or two on his own was a good thing. He didn't need to be around Froka constantly and it wasn't good for her to be around him all the time either. They needed their space or it was going to come out that they were sleeping together and that wouldn't be good for either one of them. He woke in the morning and stretched, then got up and washed using the basin. He dressed and looked at the beard growth on his face. He would have to shave it soon, but he would keep it as such for a little longer. He stepped out of his room and into the common room of the inn. He was one of the last to wake that morning, a surprise to the others, but not to him. Not after how much running he did last night. He greeted them all and then went over to Faida and handed her a coin purse with nine gold coins in it.

"Grim?" she asked, unsure.

"It's what you are owed for yesterday. When the soldiers were here."

"But how?"

"That doesn't matter. It matters that they paid it. Let me know if any of them never pay again."

"T-Thanks, Grim."

"Of course, Faida. Enjoy your day."

Grim actually got her to give him a smile and he took that to heart as he sat down with his pack. They had all watched his exchange with Faida and stared at him when he sat down.

"What?"

"You paid FOR those bastards?" Kohl asked, his eyes showing his anger.

"Of course not, you knucklehead."

"Then you got them to pay it? How?" asked Marte.

"I have my ways. Eat up. I'm sure we all have work to do today." Grim looked down at his own plate of eggs and bread, deciding to forego the toasting of it.

"I have to say I think that made Faida twice as happy than she normally is, Grim," Jax said.

"Sometimes you do what you gotta do, right?" Grim smiled and then took another bite of his food, his eyes sliding over to Froka who was looking at him dangerously. He turned to focus on his food. This was why it was dangerous to get involved with someone you have to see on a daily basis. Even more precarious when you need to keep it hidden.

"I'll catch up with you guys later. I'm off to help Azzada." Grim finished his food, put coins on the table to pay for it, and stood up to leave.

"Could I have a word, Grim?" Froka asked and he tried not to freeze. He managed, barely.

"Sure. I have a few minutes before Azzada's outside anyway." Grim walked outside while putting on his cloak and hat, then stood on the porch as he waited for Froka. She emerged a minute later.

"I missed you last night, Grim," she whispered to him, wanting to touch him, but holding her hands at her sides.

"As did I, Froka, but we must be careful. If anyone notices that you are gone from your bed at night, it will not take them long to connect it to me. That would ruin your chances in the army. You must think of that."

"I do, Grim. All the time. It's so difficult to do, though. I want nothing more than to put my arms around you right now. It's taking everything I have in me to stay put."

"A little time apart is good for us, Froka. You can't get too dependent on me, nor I on you. We are enjoying one another, but that does not mean that we must wed, correct?"

Grim could tell that Froka didn't like that idea at all. When she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, Grim felt his groin react and he shut his eyes to calm himself.

"You're right, Grim. Of course. Look, don't worry about me. I'll be fine." She turned to go back inside and Grim grabbed her wrist lightly.

"Froka... Come on." He sighed. "You know my hands are tied, figuratively speaking. I have my daughter to think about as well."

"Yes, your daughter. You never talk about her to me, Grim. Why is that?" Froka pulled her arm free of him and crossed them in front of her.

"Well... It's just never come up." He paused. "I didn't think you'd want to hear about her. We aren't serious." At least he hadn't thought they were, but apparently she had. He kicked himself for thinking that she would be as carefree in their relationship as he was. He should have known that she would get more involved than him. "I'm sorry, that didn't come out right. I meant to say we're not serious right now."

"No, that's fine, Grim. You're more concerned about how everyone else will see you than you are about me. I get it. It's better that I see it now."

Grim didn't have a chance to say more as the rest of the group came out of the inn laughing and talking amongst themselves and Froka disappeared inside. He sighed and shook his head, but walked across the road to get to work, seeing Azzada waiting for him. He didn't know what to do about Froka, but today he could at least put it aside and focus on work. He was glad that he had something to keep busy.

"Hey Azzada. I got something for Clinton." He handed the man a gold coin. "For his help with the horses yesterday. Let him know he earned it well." Grim then patted Azzada's shoulder and went to work weeding the garden. It would soon be time to harvest the crops and prepare for winter. He wasn't sure what farmers did during the winter, but he was sure to find out soon enough.

Grim had the rest of the day and the next to think about what Froka had said because she didn't come to see him that night. He hadn't really expected her to because of their fight earlier, but he had to admit that a part of him had been hoping she would. No matter. It was probably better if she kept her distance for a bit. With the cold weather coming on he was feeling the wolf under the surface more and more. They were almost finished with the second week and he hadn't gotten any letters or orders or anything. He hoped that Fjolnar would contact him before they had to move on, though he was confident that the courier could find them even if they did travel elsewhere before then. It would just put his mind at ease if he got notice that Iddra was all right. That Lifa was all right as well.

In all honesty he had to agree that some of what Froka had said was true. He was worried about how everyone else would see him if they found out about their affair. He knew it was against regulations to have a relationship with a subordinate and still went ahead with the affair anyway. It would be over for both him and Froka. She would be lucky to still be a member of the army after that and he would be let go for sure. Or perhaps not, now that he thought about it. It seemed that the "adventures" of men were looked at as normal, but if a woman were to do the same thing, she would be shunned for it. It was a strange double standard that this world had, but it was what everyone knew and lived by. It would be no different here.

After work, Grim made his way to the Four Shields Tavern once more. Everyone, it seemed, was missing Fjolnar just as much as Grim was as everyone was somber during dinner. Jax went for a walk after their meal was finished. Marte and Froka went to their room to do girly things, he assumed. Kohl and Rhoni stayed near the fireplace, drinking mead and telling jokes. Grim chuckled at their youthfulness. They were only a year or two younger than he was, but it seemed like he was so much older than they were. He sighed. Salk, he noticed, was talking with Julienne. That seemed natural, they were the same age, and he had to admit that Salk was a decent fellow. He did wonder, however, what Azzada would think about his only daughter being courted by the young soldier. Ah, but there was the issue. No one outside of their group knew that any of them were soldiers. Julienne must think that Salk was simply a young traveler, as they had led them all to believe. A pity.

Grim said good night to everyone and went to his room. He sat at the table and began to write in his journal, a practice he had started when he'd first arrived in Skyrim five years ago. He had gone through several books since then, but always wrote his feelings and thoughts down whenever he had the time. Tonight it was all about his guilt for the deception to the townsfolk. That and his poor conversation with Froka. He wouldn't go so far as to say he was in love with her, but he definitely had a soft spot in his heart for her and he knew how dangerous that could be. If anyone ever threatened her life, he would do whatever it took to save her. Even put himself or the rest of the pack at risk. That was the bad part of his attraction to her. The fact that he would think of no one but her was deadly.

So deep in his thoughts that he didn't at first notice the soft scratching at his door and when he did, he realized how late it had gotten. He must have dozed off while writing. Shaking his head, he stood up from the chair and stretched, groaning. Then he went over to the door and cracked it open. He saw Froka and was surprised, but after a quick glance behind her, he let her in and shut the door. It was late enough that everyone had gone to bed. Even Kohl and Rhoni who had the habit of staying up the latest of them all. Before he spoke to her, she started to remove her clothing, backing toward the bed. Grim swallowed his tongue and whatever words he'd been about to say to her. His groin was taking control at that moment and his own hands reached up to start removing his clothes. Apparently they were done fighting and this was the make-up period. He would enjoy it while it lasted, even though he knew he should tell her to leave. As her arms opened for him, he lay down and kissed her, his hands finding her skin. A groan escaped his lips and he pulled back slightly to look into her eyes.

"Are you sure, Froka?" he whispered. "I can't promise you anything other than a bit of fun."

"I understand, Grim. I'll take what I can. I can't be without you."

"Very well."

That was all that was said about the matter. They chose after that night to come together every other night, so they wouldn't rouse suspicion among the others. Grim had to admit that it was an advantageous arrangement for the both of them. They both got what they wanted, the passion of the other, without the entanglements that most women and men faced. As their second week came to a close in Dragon Bridge, he was very close to Azzada, Michel, Clinton and Julienne. So much so that he felt a part of their family and he hated the fact that they had no idea he was a Stormcloak soldier. He did, however, manage to convince Azzada that he didn't believe the Stormcloaks would ever blow up the bridge to further their cause in the war.

He'd also gotten a letter from Fjolnar about Iddra and Lifa. It read that they were both doing fine. Iddra was back to working the counter at the inn, against his wishes, but still cried at night. Fjolnar explained that he would stay with her a little while longer to get her through the mourning period. Lifa, however, had found a kindred spirit in the form of her Auntie Kenna. Both of them would disappear for hours at a time and Fjolnar assumed they were running through the forest. Grim shook his head at this. He'd also received a letter from his brother. Their father was in a bad way as of late. It was talked about before he'd come to Skyrim for the visit that perhaps they should all just move back now and keep their religion hidden until the war was over. Grim didn't know if that would work, but the thought of having his family home? He couldn't say that hadn't struck home in his heart. He'd like nothing more. He would have to write a response to his brother. And to Fjolnar. The last piece of mail he'd received was something he'd been almost dreading. They'd finally gotten a letter from Istar. Their time here was up.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Grim sat on his bed with the rest of the group in his room. Froka and Marte were sitting at the table, Jax was standing near the window, Salk was leaning on the door, and Kohl and Rhoni were leaning on the wall opposite the table. He'd called them all in here after breakfast that morning and now that they were all there, he pulled out the packet he'd received from Istar and set it on the mattress. Jax knew immediately what it was, the rest of them hadn't really a clue. Grim took a deep breath and let it out.

"We've got our orders." He motioned to the papers. "We're to go to Fort Hraggstad. It's north of here and apparently in the control of the Imperials." He paused here to make sure they were all paying attention. "We're to remove it from their control. Istar's given us free rein to do it however we can. Though he gives us a week to get it done before they arrive."

"Sounds easy enough. How many are we looking at, Grim?" asked Jax, the ever attentive soldier.

"The last scouting report says possibly as many as twenty, but more likely around fifteen. Six outside, the rest inside."

"Won't be as easy as it sounds then." This came from Kohl who was surprisingly good at strategy and tactics. It was one of the reasons that he liked having Kohl in the pack.

"That's right. We'll have to be stealthy so we don't raise an alarm and get the entire place down on our heads. It'll only be us until Istar and the rest of them arrive. One week." Grim avoided looking at Froka, but did glance at her and Marte briefly, to include them in the discussion.

"Stealth isn't a problem. It's accuracy, eh Salk?" Rhoni teased the youngster.

"I've gotten better!" Salk protested, but reddened just the same.

"Stop teasing. We need to get serious again. This is for the war. This is for the Stormcloaks. This is for Skyrim!" Grim said, curling his hand into a fist. "Keep that in mind."

"Aye, sir." Rhoni bowed his head to show his respect.

"So, how should we do this? Obviously bows to start, pick off the six outside soldiers?" Marte spoke up finally.

"Yes, I was thinking that. How many of us can use a bow well enough to ensure a strike?" Grim asked.

"I can," Froka said, looking at Grim.

"I can as well," Kohl said with a grin and lifted his head.

"Yes, I know you can Kohl. No need to boast. Good, Froka and Kohl, you'll be with me. Jax, you can take Marte, Salk, and Rhoni around so that we can get behind them."

Grim laid out the strategy they would use to rid the fort of the Imperial soldiers. He wasn't sure how it would all work since he would have Froka with him, but at least he would see soon enough. He hoped it would all work well since they needed to show Istar that their two weeks "off" hadn't been a bad decision. He wanted more missions like that one. After their tactics were settled, they all left to say their farewells to those that they had been working with over the last two weeks. He'd also sent the courier on with letters for his brother and Fjolnar both. Then he and Jax had gone to the stables to prepare the horses.

"Are you really leavin', Grim?" a young voice asked and Grim turned to see Clinton.

"Aye, little man. I am. We're on our way to another town in Skyrim. Gotta continue the adventure, you see?"

"Oh." He looked down at the ground and shifted his weight.

"We're not ready to settle down yet, Clinton, but I promise you that we'll be back through. You haven't seen the last of us." He gave the boy a wink and then finished saddling Matilda.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure, son. Here." Grim reached into his saddlebags and pulled out a coin purse. He took ten gold pieces from it and handed it over to Clinton. "That's for you to hold onto for me. I'll be back to get it. All right?"

"Got it!" Clinton smiled and awkwardly gave Grim a hug before turning and running out of the stables toward his house.

"You got a way with kids, Grim. That boy is attached to you."

"I know and I feel bad about leaving, but we have to do what we have to do. The gold will give him something to hold onto, to look forward to me coming back to get."

"I see. That's a good idea."

"I try. They're all good people. I'd hate to leave them with a bad thought of us."

"Come on, let's get the horses out there. I'm sure everyone else is ready to go now. I'm eager to move on and start the next part of our journey."

"Agreed. I'll be right behind you. I want to make sure I'm not leaving anything behind." Grim patted Matilda's neck and sighed.

Jax nodded and led four horses out of the stable, two on either side of him, leaving Grim to bring Matilda and Jax's horse along. Grim rested his hand on Matilda's shoulder and leaned his forehead on her neck.

"What do you think, girl? Are you ready to get out of here?"

The mare tossed her head and stamped her feet as if to answer 'Yes!' and Grim had to laugh. Shaking his head, he grabbed the reins to Jax's horse and walked out of the stable. He'd already said his goodbye to Azzada and his family earlier. It hadn't been easy, but Grim had convinced them that he and his group had more places to visit in Skyrim before their travels were done. Azzada had understood that and wished him well and safe travels. Grim told him he would be back to visit in the future. Now, as he mounted his horse, he looked around the town and wished that they didn't have to leave just yet. He knew he would always have friends here, even if they found out that he was a Stormcloak. They hadn't chosen either side, wanting to stay out of it as much as possible. Grim led the group out of Dragon Bridge and toward the road that would lead to Fort Hraggstad and the next leg of their journey.

A map had been provided within the packet of papers that Grim had received from Istar that gave them the roads they needed to take and approximate distances. According to the map, it wouldn't take long at all to reach the fort. It was probably going to take them more time to clear it out than it would to find the place. Heading to the left after leaving Dragon Bridge, they trotted down the road and Grim sighed. He felt awful about doing this without Fjolnar, but the best place for the man right now was with his wife and son. It would be a bit more difficult without his friend, but not impossible. The rest of the group seemed to be eager to go, but quiet as well. He knew Salk, for one, wished they had longer to stay in town, but they didn't. He couldn't hold up the mission for a young man's wooing. They were in the middle of a campaign to rid Skyrim of the Empire, once and for all.

A cold breeze came up and whipped Grim's cloak around causing a flapping sound. He huddled into it further, glad for the fur hat he wore on his head. It was very close to winter now and he wouldn't be surprised if they saw snow while they were on this mission. At least he had helped Azzada harvest his crops so it was done in one day rather than several. His blue eyes gazed around and noticed that his group was much the same as he was, huddled into their cloaks to keep the wind at bay. He had comfort in knowing that the fort wasn't far from Dragon Bridge, but they still had to get the guards outside taken care of and inside before they could warm up.

"Hey Grim, er, sir?" Salk spoke, unsure what to call him now.

"It's all right. I think we're comfortable with one another now you can call me Grim. What's up, Salk?"

"I was just wonderin," he began. "What is it 'bout you that makes them wanna send you, and us, on these missions? Seems like they'd get it done faster if they went in en force. No?"

"You have a point, Salk, but I think Istar has his orders from farther up and Galmar, for whatever reasons he might have, has decided that I'm as good as that Dragonborn fellow. I don't believe I am, but there's little I can do about it. I follow orders."

"Galmar, eh?"

"Aye, but I'm not sure why. So please, don't view me as any different than you all. I just do what I'm told and have you all to back me up. The best pack of rebels a man could have with him."

Grim gave them all a grin and then they moved into a faster gait and turned left at the intersection. It wouldn't be long now. His hand found the bow that he held and he wet his lips slowly. He would have Salk and Froka with him. They would take the shots at the six outside guards. It was all up to them to make sure that the way was clear for the others to get in. He could do that. He had to do that. They took the road off to the right and slowed to a trot. None of them said anything else for some time and it wasn't long before the first towers of the fort came into view. Immediately the group became tense and eager, the horses picking up on it.

"Easy, guys. Keep calm. Your horses will give us away," he warned, then pulled off to the left where a rock formation was located with some trees. He dismounted and patted Matilda's neck, looking at the others that had dismounted as well.

"We'll leave the horses here. Make sure they're hobbled and won't wander. It would almost be better if we were doing this at night, lower visibility and all that, but no matter. We can do this. Salk, Froka, you're with me. The rest of you, remember what to do."

Grim led the way with Salk and Froka on either side of them. Each one had quivers on their backs and bows in their hands. Grim silently motioned for Salk to head off to the left and up onto the rocks. He looked over at Froka with a silent wish and motioned her to the right and onto some rocks. He would take the middle, using whatever cover he could to get close. It would have worked perfectly, too, if a guard hadn't been patrolling in front of the entrance just as Grim had come up. Once he was in position, he raised his hand to signal the other two to start shooting when the guard saw the motion and was on alert immediately.

"Who's there?"

Grim froze, his bow already in the process of being pulled back. He waited for agonizing seconds while the guy tried to use his poor eyesight to locate what he'd heard or seen. Finally, he shrugged and turned away, and that was when Grim loosed the arrow at him. At the same time, Salk and Froka let their own arrows fly and sink into their targets. That was sure to bring the rest of them to the entrance where he could peg off another one and so could Salk and Froka. Unfortunately, he didn't anticipate that one of them would stay behind. Only two came to the entrance and he waited until they had come out into view of Salk and Froka before he let an arrow fly. The man dropped to the ground with a grunt, but the guy behind him not so. An arrow in the arm, he drew a sword and came straight toward Grim as he was the visible one.

"Come on," Grim whispered as he watched the come running up to him. He grabbed his shield and managed to get it in front of him just in time to protect his face from the man's sword. Before long, the guy attacking Grim was on the ground breathing his last, thanks to Froka. He looked over at her and smiled, thanking her with his expression. There was just one guy left inside the courtyard and he let Salk and Froka take him out. Grim motioned for the rest of them to come up and let out a shuddering breath.

"That was a bit closer than I like." He laughed.

"Aye, thought you were a goner, Grim," Jax said with a grin.

"So did I, Jax. Come on, get whatever you can off their bodies, then let's get into the fort. The snow is starting and I don't fancy spending the night out here. Rhoni and Kohl, bring the horses, would you?"

The two men turned and went back to get the horses. Jax, Marte, Salk and Froka looked at Grim and followed him into the courtyard after checking over the dead soldiers. The group stealthily made their way further in and saw that they had gotten all the guards, a good thing for them. Grim really didn't want to deal with anymore at least until he managed to get his armor on, something he would do once inside. Then he noticed a forge off to the left of the entrance and was impressed. The Imperials were using it to their advantage, apparently. Off to the right he noticed a stable, empty of horses, and looked over his shoulder at Kohl and Rhoni bringing the horses inside.

"Go ahead and put them there. They'll be out of the snow while we're inside." He went to Matilda and patted her softly. "I'll be back soon, girl. Behave."

Grim then let her go with the others and waited until they were all secure before he led the group to the door that was directly opposite the entrance they'd come through. There was another door, off to the right, but he figured the main door to be this one. He held his sword ready, as the others all held theirs as well. Kohl opened the door and peeked in. He didn't see anyone, so he went in first and one by one they entered the fort. It was a good thing that the Stormcloak armor was so light and portable. Each one of them had their armor in their backpacks and now found a spot to don it. Grim kept watch while the others armored themselves and then they watched for anyone while he got his own on. All in all it took them about thirty minutes to put their armor on and be ready to take the rest of the fort. Grim told them it might be better if they stashed their packs here. Less weight meant they could dodge better. A niche was found and the packs were put in it. Grim led the way after that toward the rest of the fort.

Passing through a doorway, he stopped and motioned silently for the rest of them to ready their weapons if they weren't already. He pointed out with his head that there was a soldier ahead of them tending a fire. Grim looked at Salk who nodded, raised his bow and drew the arrow back. He aimed and then fired at the man. It was a good shot and the soldier grunted, trying to get the arrow out of his back, but in the end he fell to the ground and started to crawl. Kohl moved in and cut his throat before he could alert anyone else to the "intruders". Grim nodded and acknowledged his good work. Then the group moved onward. This room was dimly lit and there was a pile of hay and wood in one corner and a table in the back corner. Next to that was a doorway and Grim could hear the movements of another soldier through there.

Perhaps that was why Galmar kept having him do this sort of work. He and his pack were so good at it. They moved silently as a group and knew what each of them should do without much instruction. Through the doorway was a hallway with an opening on the right side. The group turned and saw the opening was where a staircase leading up was located. As they slowly made their way up the steps, he could hear a soldier speaking in the room at the top of the stairs, so he brought Salk up next to him. Salk prepared the bow and readied an arrow. As they reached the top of the stairs and turned around, there was a soldier standing near a bookcase. Grim nodded to Salk and watched as the kid aimed the bow and let the arrow fly at the soldier. It only wounded the Imperial who turned and drew their sword. Grim noticed that the soldier was female, but they couldn't think about that. One of the things about both armies was their equality within the ranks. Men and women were both allowed into active duty. The woman came toward them with the intent to harm.

Grim was the first to hold off her attack with his own sword and shield, keeping Salk safe as he was their best archer right now. With quick movements and before she could let anyone know about their arrival, Grim and the others had dispatched her. She lay bleeding as she died and he sighed. It wasn't a good feeling to kill another person, but it was even worse for him, at least, when it was a woman. Shaking his head to regather himself, he looked around this large room and noticed several things. There was a brazier near the stairs, which gave them the warmth. There was a ramp leading up in the corner and he thought he saw barrels underneath and a chest on top of the platform. He remained crouched and snuck through the room quietly. In the corner behind the stairway was another ramp that led to a platform that held barrels and sacks on it.

As they got further into the room, they noticed a large opening on the end of the room. As they looked through, they noticed several beds and dressers. A barracks, then. Another voice came to them and looking further into the room, Grim picked out the form of another Imperial. This one was in better armor, perhaps the commander of the small troop of soldiers here at the fort. He stood at the rear of the room and Grim moved off to the side and out of view so they could discuss strategy. He didn't exactly want to tangle with the man in hand to hand combat, but it may come to that. If Salk could get two shots off that would help. One if the boy aimed well enough. Their discussion done, he nodded to Salk who moved to prepare his bow. The others were ready with their swords and axes, knowing they would undoubtedly have to use them.

Salk let the first arrow fly toward the commander and Grim frowned as he heard it hit the armor and bounce off. This guy was wearing better armor, for sure. Then he nodded again to Salk who was already waiting with another arrow and let it fly at Grim's nod. This one hit the man who had turned and was looking around him. A loud "gah" was heard and then they were spotted. The man drew his greatsword and came toward them, but Salk was able to get off one more shot, this time in the thigh. The man went down and his sword clanged on the stones as he knelt in pain. Grim walked up with Jax and Rhoni on either side of him, ready to pierce the man with their own swords.

"Why don't you tell us how many more of you there are here, eh?"

"Piss off!" the commander spat at Grim.

"That's no way to talk to the man who singlehandedly took down your entire troop with just a group of seven soldiers. Come now, how many more are here?"

The man wouldn't talk and nothing they did could get him to talk. In the end, it was a search of his person that revealed there was a prison located on the premises and there were more soldiers there. Grim took out the arrows from his shoulder and leg, smiling at the man's pain.

"You should have told us. We might have healed you." He shook his head. "Now, I'll let you rot in that prison of yours."

Grim motioned to Kohl and Rhoni to tie the man up, then looked at Marte and Froka.

"We need to make sure this place is cleaned out. I'm going to take this guy with me down to the prison. I want you two to take Jax and Salk. Walk through and make sure it's clear. Kohl, Rhoni, let's go. Make sure he's secure."

Marte, Froka, Jax and Salk left the room and headed off to do a sweep. Grim led Kohl and Rhoni along with their prisoner toward the prison. He'd used a bit of cloth to create a gag so that the man wouldn't give them away. They went outside and across the courtyard to where the door to the prison was. They crouched, forcing the commander to crouch as well, and opened the door. Since Kohl and Rhoni were busy holding onto the prisoner, Grim was prepared to take out whatever they faced going in. They'd seen from the paper that there were probably three more soldiers down here. His eyes adjusted to the dim interior and Grim saw two soldiers here.

One was a Khajiit and the other was actually a Nord, it looked like. He wasn't sure how someone could go against their people like that, but he supposed there were some members of the Imperial race that had joined up with the Stormcloaks, too, so he couldn't be too critical about it. As the Nord came closer, he snuck up behind him and grabbed around the man's throat, dragging him backwards. Then he stuck his sword into the soldier's chest. He kept him quiet until he died. The Khajiit stood up from a table he was sitting at, having heard a little scuffle. He came to investigate and spotted the group near the door. He drew his sword and Grim engaged him.

A strike against his arm caused him to falter slightly and he wet his lips, but then shifted his sword to his left hand and brought it up under the man's armor into his chest. He growled as he did so and fell on top of the man as he pinned him to the ground. The wolf was very close to the surface right then and it took a lot for him to calm down and get back to normal. Grim turned to look at Kohl and Rhoni who had the commander standing now and were looking at him. He let out a soft sigh.

"I don't like getting hit." He laughed and then used his healing magic to make his arm better. "Lucky I learned this five years ago."

"Apparently. Accordin' to the man's notes there should be one more down there. Think ye can take him?" Kohl asked Grim.

"Course I can. Come on then, let's go."

Grim led the way since he would be taking the soldier out while they held the commander. He walked through an open door and down a stairwell. It reached a landing and off to the left was an alcove with a shelf in it. On the right was another stairwell down and Grim nodded to the others behind him and snuck down the steps. He could make out the iron bars of prison cells and knew that it was down here that the final soldier, unless the notes were wrong, was located. As he hid in the shadows, he watched the man walk past the opening at the bottom of the stairs and head to the right. Carefully, he crept down and out into the prison room. A quick look around proved that the guy in front of him was the last guy. He was almost on him when the man turned around and saw him. He sneered, but stood up, raising his sword to block the swipe from the soldier. He stared him right in the eye.

"Give it up. You're done for!" Grim told him.

"You'll be the one who's done for, you bastard!"

Grim dodged out of the way and smiled as the man's sword landed on the stones. He recovered and came after Grim again. He dodged once more and thrust his sword forward, stabbing the man in the stomach, then jumping away again. He moved left then right, never in one place for very long. He barely missed another swipe and shook his head, then thrust forward once more, piercing through the man's leather armor and into his chest.

"You can't best me! Not today!" Grim growled, then twisted the sword and watched the man's face pale as he bled. Once he was dead, Grim stood up and looked over at his companions.

"We have taken the fort. Put that fool into one of the cells. Istar will be pleased to have a prisoner to interrogate."

Their mission given by Istar and expected to take them a week was finished in just half a day. Such was the cooperative nature of their group that they were able to get everything done that needed to be done without too much standing around scratching their heads. They even had the commander as a prisoner and beds to sleep in while they waited for Istar to arrive with the rest of the Haafinger Stormcloaks. Grim made sure that they had food and drink, as well as a bit of a rest. They still patrolled the walls, just in case there were any Imperial reinforcements, but their prisoner hadn't said anything about any so Grim was confident that there wouldn't be any. There was no time to spend with Froka alone during this week of waiting because there was always something for them to be doing. Perhaps that was just as well. He didn't want to risk anyone finding out about their affair. The looks were bad enough.

As the week came to a close, Kohl called down to Grim who was outside with Matilda to let him know that Istar was on his way with the Stormcloaks under his command. He grinned and thanked Kohl, then patted Matilda.

"We did it, Tilly. We'll get new orders and something else to do. Maybe we'll fight a battle instead of sneaking into places." He laughed when the mare snorted and stamped a foot. "Aye, and you want to get your hooves dirty, I know. You'll get your chance, Tilly. Be patient."

Grim then walked out into the courtyard to await Istar. The rest of the group stood behind him, waiting as well. When Istar rode into the fort, he stopped, surprised to see them all looking so well. He dismounted and handed the reins off to one of the soldiers, then stepped up in front of Grim. He raised a brow, then looked him over before glancing at the rest of them, again looking them over.

"Good work, Grim. You managed to get it done by today."

"We had just been waiting for you to arrive, sir. The fort was ours within hours of our arrival several days ago."

"Honest?"

"Aye, sir."

"Interesting. Was it difficult? I see one of you is missing. A loss then?"

"No, sir. Fjolnar had a family emergency and had to return home for a spell. We were still in Dragon Bridge then."

"Hmm." Istar was a no-nonsense sort of man and he got the sense that Grim was not lying. "Come, Grim, join me for a drink and tell me about your mission. At ease," he told the others as he walked toward the main door to enter the fort.

Grim smiled at them and then entered after Istar. The man was his commanding officer after all. They sat around a fire and Grim poured him some of the ale he'd found around the fort.

"So you're telling me that the seven of you took control of this fort in just a few hours?"

"Aye, sir. Half a day. Oh, and we have a prisoner. Seems the place had a prison built into it, so we made use of it. The commanding officer of the Imperials that were stationed here."

"Very good work, Grim. I'll have my investigator check it out and see if they'll talk."

"Thank you, sir. I have a question, sir."

"Yes?"

"Could we, perhaps, have some time off? Say three weeks? That should give Fjolnar time enough to get back and rejoin us. I'd feel better if I had him at my side."

"Hmm, I'll think about it, Grim. Come and see me again tomorrow. For now, take a rest. I'll station guards to keep watch."

"Thank you, sir. I'll take my leave now then."

"Aye. Until tomorrow."

Grim left Istar at the table and went back outside to find his group. They were over near the stables. He leaned against the stone and wood.

"I asked about being granted some time off. I'll see what he says tomorrow."

"You didn't hafta do that, Grim," said Marte with a grin. "But I'm glad you did. Even when we were in Dragon Bridge, we weren't really resting, were we?"

"No, we weren't. For that I'm sorry, but we had our orders. Now it seems we'll find out our next orders tomorrow. Hopefully they'll include a few weeks off duty."

"You look out for us a lot, Grim." This came from Rhoni.

"I try. I was put into command over you lot, I'd hate to see that go down the drain." He laughed as he teased them. "Naw, you guys are my friends now. I'll always look out for you."

"That means a lot to us, Grim. Thank you," Jax said with a nod.

"Get some rest, guys. Istar said he'd post guards around the fort from now on, so we don't have to keep watch. I'm going to make sure I get a long, much needed sleep. You all should, too."

Grim then turned and left them there, heading into the fort and back toward their beds. He knew that Istar at least would take one of the beds, but that didn't mean they were going to be ousted. Besides, Istar had told them to get rest. He didn't feel like sleeping outside in the snow right now and there was plenty of snow out there. It had started with a vengeance while they waited for Istar to arrive, but they had been able to tamp it down in the courtyard and along the walls. He felt for the soldiers that were camping outside the fort in tents and bedrolls. He didn't envy them.

The next day he went to speak with Istar again and got his answer. They were able to take three weeks off, but had to report back promptly three weeks from today. That included travel time. Grim didn't care, he would take what he could get. He wasn't sure it would be enough to get home and back before the time was up, but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy his time off. Perhaps he would spend his time back in Dragon Bridge. Azzada would open his door for him, but he had a feeling Faida would welcome them back for a few weeks as well. He went to find the pack and let them know. Just as he thought, they were just as pleased as he was that they had been granted time off. After taking their Stormcloak armor off and making sure they had clean clothes on, they went to prepare the horses for their journey back to Dragon Bridge. Not only was it the closest town, it was also where they had made friends and was also close to the fort so it wouldn't take much time to get back.

Grim was glad to be saying farewell to the fort and looking forward to returning to Dragon Bridge. He wouldn't admit that he was emotional when it came to the town, but when he made friends they tended to be friends for life in his book. Within two hours they had arrived back in town. The snow had piled up and it was hard going, but they went around behind the inn and stabled the horses. Then Grim led the way into the inn to warm up. He was surprised by the lack of activity and went to the counter to see Faida.

"You've returned. Welcome back, Grim."

"Faida, what's going on? Where is everyone?"

"Oh, well, you know, it's cold and there's snow everywhere. I suppose Michel and Azzada are staying put in their house. Horgeir, his wife and his brother are staying in their house, though I have seen them make trips to the lumber mill to make sure it's still working." She shrugged. "We haven't gotten many visitors since you left. Just one group of Imperial soldiers." She paused at this. "Funniest thing. They actually paid for what they ate and drank. Even paid Clinton a gold coin for taking care of their horses."

"That is a funny thing, Faida." He smiled. "I'm glad to hear it."

"You didn't have anything to do with that, huh?"

"Not at all. I'm a simple traveler. Tell me, Faida, do you have our rooms still available? If so, I'll pay for the use of them again." He bounced a pouch of coins.

"Put your money away, Grim. You can all stay here free of charge. It's not like they're gonna get used otherwise anyway."

"Faida, I can't do that. Let me pay you."

"No, and that's final."

"All right. Let me make a donation then. For food and drink for the group of us. We tend to eat a lot and you might need supplies sooner than you normally would."

"Fine. I can see that you won't let it go. Fifty gold and we're even."

"Deal." Grim counted out the gold and handed it to her, smiling as he saw how she had changed.

When they had first arrived, she was standoffish and distrustful, and now she was giving them free room and board, or trying to. He shook his head and left her at the counter and walked back to the table with the others.

"We have our old rooms back. She didn't want to take the money."

"Does that mean she likes you now Grim?" asked Kohl.

"I don't know, but I'm not arguing, other than the fact that I couldn't, in good conscience, stay here for free so I insisted on paying for food and drink. She accepted that."

"She really is a nice person after all, huh?" said Marte.

"Aye, that she is, Marte. Now, we'll get a good meal and then we can relax. We have three weeks of vacation to spend here."

Grim smiled and then stretched, as if he were in the sun. They laughed at him and he laughed, too. He had to admit that these people were the closest thing to family he had at the moment, so he enjoyed spending time with them. It was only about midday so they had time to rest before they would turn in for the night. Grim already had it in his head to go see Azzada and his family after he ate his lunch. Surely his arrival would surprise his friend since they had told him they were traveling around Skyrim. He would just say it was the snow that had made them come back. No one needed to know that they were really Stormcloak soldiers. That would surely just make it awkward anytime an Imperial came through town which they seemed to do every few days. Staying here in Dragon Bridge would also give him an idea of what farmers did during the winter.

After his meal, he parted with his group and made his way over to Azzada's house, knocking lightly on the door. When it was opened, Michel grinned widely and hugged Grim, pulling him inside and shutting the door. Clinton came running from the back of the house and threw his arms around Grim as well. He laughed and ruffled the boy's hair and looked past him to where Azzada was walking over.

"Well man, I didn't think I'd see you again until next year. Welcome back."

"Aye, well, I hadn't planned on returning so soon, but the snow came suddenly and the horses were laboring so we turned back and made for parts we already knew. Dragon Bridge being the first." He teased. "How are you doing?"

"We're well. Can't complain. It could be warmer and we could have less snow, but this is Skyrim. We're used to it now. Come, you must have a drink with us."

Grim couldn't turn down that offer and sat down at the table, taking the mug that was passed to him by Michel and nodding as he sipped it. They certainly seemed to be happy he was back. He hadn't realized how liked he was here.

"Faida gave us our old rooms back so we'll be staying at the inn again."

"Good, you'll be close enough. We start hunting in the morning. Up for it?"

"You know I am." He smiled and drank the mead in the mug.

The next morning Grim told the others that he was headed out to go hunting with Azzada and would be back later. Then he made sure he dressed warmly, had his bow and his quiver, as well as his sword on his hip. You never knew what you might meet out in the forests. Then he grabbed a quick bit of bread and cheese, paid Faida for it, and left the inn. He went across the snowdrifted road and knocked on Azzada's door. He was let in and he nodded at Michel.

"Morning, Michel."

"Good morning, Grim. Azzy's almost ready."

"All right. Oh, tell Clinton that if he's up for it later he can take Matilda out to graze for a bit. I'll give him two gold coins for taking care of her."

"You're too kind, Grim, but I'll tell him. He'll love that. Thank you."

"Not a problem. Tilly's tired of being cooped up all the time. It'll do her good to get out."

Azzada came into the room and was making sure he was all set before he got too far. He saw Grim and nodded.

"Morning, Grim."

"Morning, Azzada. Told you I'd be here." He grinned.

"I never doubted you, Grim. Michel, we might be back late. If it gets too late, we might camp in a cave or something and just come back in the morning." He leaned over and kissed his wife deeply, sliding his arm around her waist.

Grim watched, wishing that he would once more have a woman to do such with, not that he did any of that with Aeri. Eir, though... And now there was Froka. Froka made him envision a future again, not just the here and now. When Azzada had said goodbye to his wife and was ready, they went outside and braced against the wind.

"Damn! That wind always like this?" Grim asked.

"Yeah, it gets worse the deeper into winter we get. Just wait 'til it's snowing and the wind blows. Near on blinds you."

"Ugh, I don't think I'll ever get used to the cold here in Skyrim. I was only a toddler when my parents moved to Hammerfell. I grew up in much warmer weather than this. I've been here for five years now, but still, it's hell on me during the winters."

"Not sure if you ever get used to the cold, Grim, but you certainly learn how to live with it." Azzada smiled and clapped his friend on the back, then led the way through the snow laden forest and toward a good hunting spot.

Grim had a lot of time to think as they walked through the forest. It was quiet and calm, but it had an undercurrent of life that he hadn't found anywhere else but in nature. He held the bow casually as he walked, his eyes constantly scanning the area around him for game. He'd asked Azzada what they were hunting and he said deer and elk, just not Thorik. They both laughed at that and then continued on. Grim figured it was for feeding Azzada's family, but apparently during the winter he brought in game meat for the inn and the other members of the small town. Horgeir drank too much to go hunting, he'd surely kill himself before he found any game. His brother, Lodvar, was running the lumber mill, so he couldn't go hunting. Horgeir's wife, Olda, stayed at home and waited for her husband to pass out drunk, then spent her day with Lodvar. A shame that everyone in town knew about their affair but Horgeir himself, but he had to agree with Faida that it was probably better if he didn't know about it. No man wanted his wife to sleep with another man, let alone his own brother.

Shaking his head to focus on hunting, he crouched and nudged Azzada in the ribs to get his attention. He motioned off to the left, up on a hill. There stood a buck with a nice rack of antlers. Grim was given a nod by the other man acknowledging the animal, then they both began to stalk it silently. Grim readied his bow with an arrow, but waited to draw it back. Only when they were within range did he stop and bring the bow up to aim, drawing it back. Once he was aimed correctly, he let the arrow fly and watched as it thudded into the deer's chest. It took a step, then dropped to the ground. The two does with him that Grim hadn't seen bolted away in fright. He smiled and stood up.

"What a shot, Grim. That's the way to do it. Drop 'em right quick." Azzada was already grabbing his dagger as he walked toward the hill where the deer lay.

"Thanks, Azzada. It's how my father taught me. Don't take the shot if you're not a hundred percent sure that it'll kill. Any chance it'll only wound the animal, let it be until you can be sure." Grim followed with his own dagger.

They dropped to silence again as they settled into the task at hand, field dressing the deer. To save the meat, they would take out all the innards except the heart and liver so that it wouldn't leak into the meat and make it taste odd. It went quickly as the two of them worked and once they were finished, they tied a rope to the buck's hind legs to tow it behind them. They would probably get one or two more if they were all a similar size to this buck here. Azzada wanted to make sure they had enough for everyone to last for a while. The supply carts had trouble getting through the snow at times, so it was good to have the meat just in case it was needed. It was cold enough now that the meat wouldn't spoil as long as it was kept cold. Towing the deer carcass to the path that they'd made up and tying it in a tree, they left it and made their way further into the forest.

Grim was glad that he was helping Azzada, but then his thoughts turned to his own home and wondered if he shouldn't be there helping to provide for his family and the small village of Kynesgrove. He supposed, however, that there were enough able bodied men still in town that could help out Iddra if she needed it. Between Roggi and the Moles, he came to the conclusion that they would be all right without him there this winter. He called the miners he had hired "the Moles" because they were almost always underground mining. They were making Gemma and Ganna very wealthy indeed, something they thanked him for all the time. He supposed that it was pretty normal. He did find the quartet in Windhelm five years before. Two of them were brothers and the other two were just really good friends with the brothers. He was glad to have them in Kynesgrove as well since it meant there were four more men there besides Roggi when he and Fjolnar weren't. It gave him peace of mind even if he knew the four of them were in the mine a lot of the time. He also knew that they would do whatever it took to protect Gemma, Ganna, Iddra and the children.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the slightly movement off to his side and he stopped, staring at it. Just fifty yards away stood a beast he had encountered only once and not in the snow. A sabre cat. He swallowed and looked over with his eyes, not wanting to move, at Azzada who had seen the cat already. He was tense, his bow held at his hip, not up and ready to fire. If he moved, the cat would surely see and pounce at them. He wet his suddenly dry lips and watched the pale spotted coat that this cat had, apparently blending in with their environment so well that neither of them had seen it until they were so close to it. The good thing was that it hadn't seen them yet either. If they could just get their bows up, they might just be able to survive this without major injury. As if the two of them had one brain, they slowly brought their bows up as the cat was looking away from them. They had enough time to grab arrows before it turned its head and saw them. Grim felt his heart pounding so hard that he thought it would jump out of his chest. A loud roar broke the stillness in the forest and the birds in the trees immediately took flight as did several small rodents on the ground. The cat pinned its ears and started to run toward the pair of men.

Grim didn't look at Azzada, and he didn't look at Grim. The two of them immediately let their arrows fly, striking well and true in the beast's shoulders. The growl was mixed with a snarl and the cat stopped, shaking its head. The large dagger-like teeth attempted to pull out the arrows. This gave the men time to reload their bows and take aim. Drawing back, they shot again, this time Grim hit the beast in the chest and Azzada struck it's neck as it turned its head. Striking out with its massive legs, claws extended, the beast quivered and with two more shots from Grim and Azzada, the cat went down, spasmed and then was gone. Grim couldn't believe that they had just lived through an attack by a sabre cat. When he had encountered one before it had been near Riften and that one had been light brown in color and smaller. This one was huge.

"We did it, Azzada."

"That we did, Grim. I can't believe it." Azzada was breathing heavily and they were both sweating.

"Can you eat sabre cat meat?" Grim asked him.

"I've never had the pleasure of killing one of these things. Never seen them this far north before. I suppose we could try it. What's the worst that can happen, we find out it doesn't taste that good? I can deal with that if you can." Azzada was already getting his dagger out.

"Interesting. I'm up to trying it. The pelt is gorgeous." Grim took out his dagger and started to help Azzada dress the cat.

The fur was the softest he'd felt in his life and he wondered why there were more things made out of it. Then he realized it was probably because of how deadly they were. He looked at the claws and understood that much. If the cat had gotten close enough to strike them, they would have been in a lot of trouble. For sure.

"I'm glad it didn't reach us."

"Me, too, Grim. Me, too." Azzada shuddered slightly at the thought and then focused on his task. Grim did as well.

The pair took down one more large buck before it started to get dark and Azzada suggested they head back home with their three kills. Grim agreed and towed the deer they were dragging back together until they reached the cat carcass that they had tied up and hung in a tree. Then they each took one side of the rope and dragged both the carcasses to where they had hung the first deer's carcass in the tree. By this point, they were probably dragging at least four hundred pounds of meat behind them. Grim took the ropes to the first deer, Azzada took the ropes of the second deer, then they each took a rope attached to the sabre cat and dragged it back to Azzada's farmhouse. Once they were there, and the carcasses were set down, Grim looked over their kill and nodded.

"We did well today, Azzada."

"We did, Grim. Thank you for being there with me today."

"Of course, Azzada. We're good friends and that's what friends do for one another."

"That's true."

Michel came out of the house and saw what they had brought home with them. She was shocked at the sabre cat, but was very glad her husband was home in one piece. She hugged and kissed him, then hugged Grim as well. She told him to come for dinner, but Grim explained that he would eat with his friends, but thanked her for the offer. Perhaps he would be over the next night. After she had gone back inside, he helped drag the carcasses to the shed where they can be hung up. Azzada clapped him on the shoulder as they parted ways and he headed toward his house.

"Oh, here." He dug into his pocket and dug out two gold coins. "That's for Clinton. I'm sure he took care of Matilda while we were gone. Make sure he'll always have a job to do when I'm around."

"I'll make sure he gets them, Grim. Thanks. Enjoy your night."

"Thank you, I will, Azzada. You, too. See you tomorrow."

Grim turned and headed to the inn, walking to the fire in the middle of the room and warming himself there. His ears picked up the sound of the others talking and he turned. Kohl and Rhoni, as usual, were at a table playing cards. Gambling, probably. He shook his head at that and looked around. Marte and Froka were sitting with Jax enjoying a drink. He was glad for that. Finally, his eyes settled on Salk and Julienne. The two seemed quite cozy as they sat together at a table alone. He knew that the young man had been more than happy to come back here to take their vacation so that he would have more time with Julienne. Perhaps tomorrow he would talk to Azzada and make sure he understood what was going on. He didn't want his friend to think they were using her. He remembered what Azzada had said about soldiers trying to take advantage of her a month ago now. He wouldn't have Salk be looked at like that. He could tell the boy had feelings for the girl and from what he was seeing here in the inn, she had the feelings right back at him.

Once he was sufficiently warmed, he went over to the table where Marte, Froka and Jax were at and sat down. He poured himself a mug of mead and took a drink.

"Did you have much luck today, Grim?" asked Jax.

"I did. We managed to get two good sized bucks. They're hanging in the shed now. And..." Grim paused.

"And?" asked Marte.

"We almost walked straight into a sabre cat," Grim said nonchalantly.

"What?!" Froka and Marte exclaimed almost together.

"I'm sure there's a story with that statement, Grim. Come on, spill it," Jax urged, watching as Kohl and Rhoni even stopped playing so they could hear. Salk was too busy wooing Julienne at the moment.

"Aye, there's a story. Do you realize how massive those cats are? Damn, I thought we were both done for. Luckily the beast hadn't seen or smelled us and we were able to bring the bows up while it was looking away from us. We each shot it in the shoulder the first time which stopped it's charge long enough for us to make another shot each. Mine went into the cat's chest and Azzada's buried into its neck. It tried to attack again, but couldn't get far. We put two more shots each into it and it went down, sliding to within feet of our own feet. It was a very tense situation. I thought for sure we weren't going to make it."

"That's a story and a half that should go in a book someday, Grim," Rhoni said with a laugh.

"Aye. Don't know many folks that have lived through a sabre cat attack," said Kohl and then punched his friend in the shoulder to get his attention back to cards.

"My, that seemed very dangerous indeed," Froka said worriedly, but then blushed and looked at her mug. She didn't want to admit that she had been afraid for his life when he'd mentioned the sabre cat.

"It was dangerous. I could feel the wind from its claw swipes, but we were lucky that none of the strikes landed on us. The thing had two inch claws!" He shook his head. "And its fur. The softest I have ever felt in my life. I think I'll ask Azzada for the pelt. I can see several gloves and hats being made out of it. Fur side inward so it keeps it nice and warm and soothed."

"Smart idea. I heard about your rabbit gloves that you'd made," Jax said.

"Ah, yes. I suppose Fjolnar has been talking about my arrival to Skyrim five years ago, eh? Yeah, I survived a shipwreck in the frigid waters off the coast of Dawnstar for some time before I met Fjolnar. I had to make do with what I could get. When I killed wolves, I used their pelts. One I made a cloak out of, others I used to make bedrolls for sleeping in the snow with. I caught rabbits and used their pelts to make gloves to keep my hands warm. I'm a survivor, to be sure." He laughed and drank his mead, his eyes subtly looking at Froka who lifted her eyes and met his gaze briefly.

"How'd you learn to hunt so well, Grim?" Marte asked.

"Well, I grew up in Hammerfell, you know that. My father was a hunter, still is, and from the time I was six years old I would go with him on hunting trips. I guess you could say I learned from the best. At least the best I've known, thus far."

Grim spent the rest of the evening with the pack and then went to bed near midnight. He laid in bed for a couple hours reading a book when he heard the familiar scratching at his door. As he stood up and went to open the door, he already knew who he would find on the other side and he wasn't wrong. Froka came in and wrapped her arms around his waist as he shut the door. Her head buried into his chest and she wept softly. Grim was perplexed at this behavior, but supposed it was something she needed to do. He held her in his arms, though he did lead her to the bed and sat down with her. After a time, she stopped crying and looked at him, sniffling.

"Don't ever do that again!"

"I see now. Don't fret, Froka. I don't plan on ever meeting a sabre cat again. No matter how soft the pelt is."

"Good. Now, let me love you, Grim."

"Always, Froka. Always."

Grim helped her out of his clothes as he was already nude and then held back the covers so she could slide into bed with him. He slid in beside her and then wrapped his arms around her as his lips found hers. He groaned into the kiss and pressed her against him. He made love to her until the wee hours of the night, when she had to leave and return to her bed. He had very little sleep that night, but it was so worth it. When he did sleep, he dreamed of the sabre cat and of Froka. At one point he dreamed of them together and that woke him, but after a drink of ale, he was able to sleep again and this time he dreamed of good things with Froka. Like her holding their child in her arms.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Grim couldn't wait for the days when he wouldn't have to sneak around to see Froka. Perhaps after either he or she had retired from service. At this point he wasn't sure who would go first, but he was betting on her, of course. She was most likely betting on him. He smiled at that as he washed up and dressed in the cold air of the morning. He let out a soft sigh and then ran a hand through his hair to "comb" out the snarls. It was growing rather long and he would have to cut it soon. His beard needed trimming, too, but that could wait a bit longer. He had let the beard continue growing because it kept his face warmer in the wind.

This morning he planned to relax, enjoy himself since he was here on leave from duty for a few weeks. He didn't have any ulterior motive any longer. He wanted to be here, not because he was sent here, but because he truly liked it here and liked the people. After he was set in his morning routine, he went out of his room into the common area of the inn. He noticed his group first, eating together, and then Roggi eating with the two brothers. The other two were missing, but he figured they were in the mine on a different shift. He went and sat down with his group after greeting the others.

"So, what are you all doing today?" he asked.

"I'm planning on taking a snowy ride up to the Kilkreath Temple. I wanted to see it when we passed, but didn't say anything then because we were uhm, traveling," Marte said with a smile.

"That sounds like a nice day out. Stay safe," Grim said and nodded.

"I will, Grim. Thank you."

"I was thinkin' of takin' a walk 'cross the bridge. Lodvar was talkin' 'bout a guy who came through a while 'go. Had a map or somethin'. 'Parently he didn' make it too far from the bridge." This came from Kohl.

"And I'm going with him to make sure he doesn't kill himself." Rhoni rolled his eyes, but nodded.

"You two make sure to carry your swords. What about you, Jax? We already know what Salk's gonna do." He laughed along with everyone. Grim was happy that the boy was taking charge and wooing Julienne, he just wanted to make sure that the boy had good intentions.

"Eh, I thought I might walk around the area and see what I might find in the way of plants. I have a little training in alchemy, might try my hand at making a potion or two."

"Oh, that could be useful." Grim grinned. "Good luck. Froka?"

"Me? Oh, I don't know, I might take a ride up to Katla's Farm and see what they have available for horse stock. I have been told by Faida that they have the best horses in the area. I intend to find out."

"That's pretty close to Solitude. Since everyone else is busy, would you like me to accompany you?"

"You don't have to, but I can't stop you if you really can't help it. I don't think there would be any danger to it. Do you?"

"Who knows? I'd feel better if you didn't go alone."

"All right then. I plan on leaving in an hour."

"I'll be ready in an hour, then." He stood up after having finished his breakfast. "Until then. Enjoy your day everyone."

He left the table and went into his room, grabbed his cloak, hat and gloves. He made sure his sword was attached to his belt before he left his room and went outside. He paused a moment, then went across the street to speak with Azzada. He knocked and waited, the door opened and Michel ushered him inside. Clinton was in there and jumped up, ran to Grim, and threw his arms around him in a hug.

"Thank you, Grim! I'm savin' up to buy Lucky a hat in Solitude. Any time you want me to take care of Tilly, I'm your guy."

Grim ruffled his hair and smiled down at the boy. He was glad that he'd made him happy.

"I'm getting ready to take a ride to Katla's Farm right now, but when we get back she'll need a good wipe down and some grain to eat. Keep watch for me in a few hours. I'll give you another two coins."

"Oh boy! I will! Thanks." Then he disappeared into another part of the small farmhouse. Azzada came up and greeted him.

"Welcome, Grim. What's up?"

"I think we need to have a talk." He chuckled and motioned to the table and then sat down.

"Oh? What about?"

"Your daughter, Julienne." Grim then proceeded to tell him about Salk and Julienne's burgeoning relationship.

It was almost time for him to leave with Froka, so he bade them all farewell and left the house confident that the man wouldn't murder Salk the first chance he had. Michel told her husband how romantic it was, so for now Azzada was going to let it happen. Grim felt success and made for the stables to prepare Matilda. He would be spending a day with Froka. They had to use a little subterfuge to get together, he was supposed to be her escort since she was going closer to Solitude, but it didn't matter. They were riding out there together. Alone. He wiped Matilda down with straw and shook his head.

"Don't look at me like that, girl. If it were some beefy stallion, you'd be the same way. Come on, we're going for a ride." He brought out the saddle and bridle, then tacked her up.

Not seeing Froka yet, he went and saddled her gelding as well. He led both horses to the front of the inn and tied their reins to the post. He then went inside to make sure that she was almost ready. It wasn't that long before she came out with him. They both mounted and turned their horses toward the north. The drifts seemed to have gotten worse and he pulled his cloak up closer to his face as the wind picked up, as if it had read his mind. He looked over at Froka.

"Let's go." He nudged Matilda and she leapt forward, leaving Froka and her gelding in the snow. He laughed and shook his head.

Grim slowed Matilda and dismounted once they reached the farm. He looked over at Froka and held her gelding's bridle so she could dismount as well. When she was on the ground, he smiled at her and then looked around. He saw a woman outside one building, two young boys running around, a woman tending crops, a man standing next to another building and a stable of horses. A gaze at Froka and he saw how happy she looked. It made him glad to see her look that way. She went over to the stable and looked into the stalls at the horses within. As she did so, the man that had been leaning against the building came over to them.

"Good day, fine folks. I'm Geimund. Welcome to Solitude Stables and Katla's Farm."

"Hello Geimund. I'm Grim. This is Froka. I hear you have the best horses in the area."

"You heard correctly. We take a lot of pride in our horses and have worked hard to get the reputation we have."

Grim nodded and placed his hand on Froka's waist, squeezing lightly.

"Is there anything you were looking for in particular?" Geimund asked.

"I have a gelding, but I know Grim has been looking for a stallion that would be fit as a mate for his mare. Right, Grim?"

"Hey now, don't bring me into this. This was your adventure." He grinned. "But yes, I have been looking for a stallion that Matilda would accept as a mate. Once we are settled and aren't moving around so much."

"Ah," Geimund said and looked over the two horses standing tied to the post. The painted one is your mare, sir?"

"Aye. Mind you, be careful if you go up to her, though. She's a fiesty one, for sure. Finicky, too. I can't get just any old stallion. Tilly's a battle hardened mare."

Geimund walked around the mare and gelding, spotting several scars and scrapes that he was sure she didn't get simply by running through brush.

"Battle hardened?"

"Aye. We've been through a lot of travels together. Wolves, bandits, skeevers, you know. The roads can be a dangerous place these days and not because of the war." He patted one of the stabled horses' necks and looked over his shoulder at Geimund. "She fights alongside me. So you see, I need to find a stallion that's just as tough as she is otherwise she won't accept him as her mate."

"I do see. What a strange mare, indeed. I'm not sure I have any that are suitable, but you're welcome to lead the one stallion I have out and see if they fit or not."

"Thank you."

Grim wasn't sure he was going to buy a stallion right now. He wanted to wait until the war was over before he got a stallion for Matilda, but if the girl wanted one, then he couldn't say no to her. She was the best partner he had when it came down to battle and he didn't want to lose that partnership. He had another relationship to think about at the moment. Froka was beaming at him and he didn't know why. As the stallion was trotted out in front of Tilly, she pinned her ears and tried to bite the beast. He snorted and shied to the side, almost stepping on Geimund.

"I told you she was feisty," Grim said and then leaned against a stall door with a head on his shoulder from the occupant behind the door.

"Aye, you did, but I didn't realize that she would attack if he got too close to her."

"That's Tilly for you." He laughed and shook his head. "I just don't think she's ready to settle down yet. She hasn't found the one yet."

Grim looked at Froka and saw her looking at him. It was almost as if her eyes were asking him whether he had found the one yet or if he was like his horse and didn't want to settle down yet. He swallowed. This was an important moment in their relationship. Then he took a steadying breath and realized he was probably over thinking everything. He hoped he conveyed his interest in her, but not the want or need to settle down just yet. Five years ago he had been ready to bring Eir from Hammerfell here to Skyrim, to settle down and make a life, but fate had a different idea for him. He met Aeri and fell for her. A short affair between them resulted in the birth of Lifa, but also the loss of Aeri. It still haunted him to this day, but not as badly as if it had just happened. That sort of life has hardened him to happiness and made him realize that he should take the affection where he could.

Even though it risks his entire military career to be involved with a subordinate. He would have a relationship with Froka as long as it was kept secret. It wasn't that he was ashamed of her. He was just the opposite. He wanted to shout out loud and announce to everyone that they were together, but if they did that then it would be bad for them and he wouldn't be able to fight in the war against the Imperials and neither would Froka. She was so special to him, but he couldn't let the Empire win. He had to see this through to the end. She would understand his need to see the Imperials out of Skyrim because she had her own reasons for it, which she hadn't told him about yet. He would find out eventually, he was sure of that.

Froka talked with Katla and was happy, apparently, with whatever they were talking about. He shrugged and went to speak with Horm, Geimund's adult son. They were of a similar age and both interested in horses, something that already set the stage for a friendship that could develop. They had spent nearly two hours at the stables when Froka came over to him and said they should get going. He nodded and shook hands with Horm and said he would be by again to visit. Then he walked with Froka to the horses and mounted up, turning Matilda to the road and looked over at his companion.

"What's up, Froka?"

"Nothing, Grim. I just thought we might have other things we wanted to do today," she said shyly.

"Very well, I will follow your lead, my dear." Grim smiled at her and hoped that their earlier silent conversation was forgotten for now.

He had never promised her anything when they started, so she shouldn't get upset that he didn't promise her anything now. The pair rode along the road back toward Dragon Bridge, but before they got there, Froka turned off to the left and down a small hill. Grim followed her slowly and looked around. He was confused, but it went away when he realized where they were. The old Stormcloak camp when they had first arrived at Solitude. They hadn't spent too much time in it, but he knew the surroundings. He was one of those people who could remember details of things he'd seen. Some details, at least.

The reason for their arrival now was a surprise to him, but it soon became clear after they had dismounted from the horses and tied them to the post. Before he had a chance to recover, Froka was in his arms and her lips were on his own. He wrapped his arms around her waist to hold her there and kissed her back. He liked this side of Froka, the initiative-taker. Grunting into the kiss, he stumbled back so that he was against a tree, holding her in front of him. He didn't care that a limb was poking into his back, his body had other plans. Froka pulled away from the kiss after a few minutes and looked into his face, smiling.

"Surprise." She kissed his lips fleetingly and then moved her fingers into the hair at the back of his neck.

"I like this surprise, Froka, but why did you bring us here?"

"Katla told me that when the Imperials came through here last month that some of the tents were left alone. I thought... Well, I thought we might make use of one of the small tents." She looked at him, and Grim felt his groin jump in response.

"Well then, let's see what there is to offer, eh?"

Grim picked her up in his arms and walked through the foot of snow toward the first small tent that he saw. Reaching it, he set her down and looked inside. There was a bit of snow in this one and that would make it cold, but then he thought about their cloaks and figured they might not feel it. Granted, finding a place to make love in a forgotten camp wasn't the greatest, especially when that camp is full of snowdrifts close to two feet high in places. He kept searching, though. Finally, in one of the larger tents that was only partially collapsed, he found a cot in a corner and smiled at Froka.

"Your bed, madam," he teased and brought her closer to him, his lips finding hers as his fingers started to work on her clothes.

With it being so cold and drafty, he only removed what needed to be removed. On both of them. Using the cloaks wrapped around them, they actually stayed quite warm in the tent. The collapsed bit of canvas actually kept the wind off them mostly. Occasionally there was a gust that came in from another direction and made them shiver, but since they were shivering for other reasons also, it wasn't as bad. He lay in that cot with her in his arms after and cuddled with the cloaks around them. He kissed the top of her head and sighed.

"You know I care deeply for you, right?"

"I do, Grim. I guess I just thought... I don't know."

"I know what you thought, my dear. I just don't think I'm there yet. I'm enjoying what we have here."

"I get that. I know that you feel a drive to take up arms and fight the Imperials. I do as well, but would you ever think of resigning and settling down if..."

"Froka, I made a vow to myself and to Ulfric to fight this fight and see it through to the end. What kind of man would I be if I quit before it was over?"

"I see. I guess I will only have what I have right now."

"I'm sorry, Froka. I wish I could give it up, but I just can't."

"It's better having the little bit of you I have than it would be to not have you at all, Grim. Thank you."

"There's no reason to thank me. You give me enough pleasure and happiness that I should be thanking you instead."

"You fool." She smiled at him and then rolled on top of him, her lips finding his.

Sometime later, they dressed and laughed, then mounted their horses and left the camp. Grim wished he could spend more time with her, but since they had to sneak around to do so, it was risky to delay further. They had to get back to Dragon Bridge. It didn't take long to reach the town and they separated soon after. Grim went across the street to Azzada's house to see how his friend was doing on that cold day. His thoughts were on Froka, however, and the way she had seemed so hopeful that he would give it all up and settle down with her. Did it really matter that much to females? Shaking his head, he stepped inside and was ushered to the table by Michel and a warm mug placed between his hands. He thanked her and then shook his head. They were like family to him now. He would never forget them.

As the group all sat around the table that night eating their dinner, each of them talked about their day. Or at least the parts of the day that they wanted to talk about. Grim looked at Froka fleetingly and then back at his plate. Jax had already talked about the plants that he'd found buried in the snow around town that day. Grim was glad that there were at least some still viable for the man to use. He worked on alchemy and potion making for the rest of the day until his stomach made it known that he was hungry. Grim told him that he looked forward to the day when Jax could make healing potions for them all. Practice was important and he would make sure that Jax had every opportunity he could to do so. Then he asked about Marte's expedition to the Kilkreath Temple.

"Oh Grim, it was beautiful up there. The wind was strong, but I didn't care. The steps were cared for, though, so I figured that the temple had regular caretakers. They must." She smiled. "Anyway, the climb up the steps took me higher and higher. I got to the top and there was a statue there. A shrine. The carved inscription said it was a statue of Meridia. If the statue was carved in a correct likeness, she was very beautiful. I would very much like to meet her one day."

"Meridia. One of the Daedric Princes, if I'm not mistaken." Grim thought about it for a moment. "Lady of Infinite Energies." He grinned at Marte. "She had a great hatred of all things undead."

"Ooh, she sounds wonderful." Marte smiled again and sighed. "I had a feeling she was someone powerful. I don't think they would have built a temple around just anyone's statue."

"No, I don't suppose that would happen." Grim laughed and looked over at the others that were eating and drinking with him. The group had grown very close, like a family.

"Perhaps we'll all make up there at some point before we're sent away from here." Grim nodded. "Kohl, Rhoni? What about you guys? Did you find the map you were looking for?"

Kohl sat up and smiled, then seemed to preen himself before speaking. Grim shook his head at the man's vain behavior about his looks. He did look at Rhoni and noticed how the man was watching Kohl. He wondered at it, but figured they were just good friends and he was letting Kohl tell the tale of what they had done that day, ready to jump in with a detail that was missed. He listened to Kohl's tale.

"We walked over the bridge, figurin' we didn't need to take the horses," he began. "Do ye know that the snow on the bridge is over a foot deep? Dang."

"Kohl, come on," Rhoni urged, getting his friend back on track.

"Oh, right. Anyway, we got 'cross the bridge and went to the spot that Lodvar said to start searchin'. It wasn' easy to find the man's bones under all that snow, but we did it." He grinned proudly, then looked at Rhoni before going on.

"It took us two hours to dig through a foot and a half of snow. Kohl's "wasn't easy" makes it seem like we found it right off. We didn't," Rhoni said with a shake of his head.

"Aye, well, anyway, it's what we found after diggin' the bastard up that made it all worth it, ye know."

"Oh, what was it Kohl?" asked Marte.

"A satchel."

"A satchel? That's all?" Jax asked with a grin, knowing there was surely more to the story.

"Aye. It's what was in the satchel that was importan'." Kohl waited to make sure they were all paying attention. "Lodvar didn' know what was in the bag other than a map or somethin'. The guy was askin' 'bout some place over the river, so Lodvar paid him no heed." He nodded. "We found the map." He smiled and looked at Rhoni.

"It looks like a treasure map," Rhoni said with a slight grin and pulled out the map, setting it on the table. "The x marks a spot in the river. I'm not looking forward to diving down there to see what's up, though."

"In the river?" Grim asked. "That seems a bad spot to search, but a good spot to hide things in for that reason." He nodded.

"Aye. We also found a key in the satchel. Don' know what it goes for, though. There was nothin' in the satchel that woulda said," Kohl remarked and then drank his mug dry.

"That seems like an interesting adventure for later in our vacation, no?" Grim laughed a little and then leaned back against the wall behind him.

"What about you, Grim? Did you and Froka see any good horses at that farm outside Solitude?" Jax asked.

"Froka thought we might find a stallion for Tilly there, but while the stud looked good, Tilly didn't like him." Grim shrugged. "There was some good horseflesh there, though. I might be interested in buying another mare or two from the guy when I retire to start my band." He nodded.

"And Katla was a very nice person. I liked the way she talked about her husband the best, though," Froka said with a wide grin on her face. "I asked why he was not outside and she told me she never lets him outside because he would only hurt himself, so he handles the inside work." She laughed. "I've never known a man to be too weak to work outside, so it was rather funny."

"She is a hard worker. Not only do they have crops to tend to, though that work is sort of put aside for now, they also have a mill that they use to grind wheat into grain and sell it," Grim said, impressed. "I met a man that was of a similar age to myself, Horm. He's the son of the hostler, Geimund. Knows a lot about the horses himself and I found myself able to talk to him for a long while before I realized the time. I could go back and talk with Horm some more. He's a good guy."

"Looks like we all had a really good day," said Jax as he stood and stretched. "I'm turning into bed. Might end up relaxing all day tomorrow and not doing anything." He laughed.

"That sounds like a plan," Grim said as he, too, stood up and stretched. He said his good nights to them all and then went into his room, shutting the door. The rest of the group relaxed around the fire and in their rooms.

Grim had meant to sleep that night and dream about Froka, but his wolf had other ideas. When the inn was quiet and everyone had gone to bed, he dressed and moved silently out into the common room. He saw Kohl and Rhoni passed out at the table. They must have been trying to out-drink the other and both had too much. He shook his head and then slipped outside. Taking a deep breath of the cold air, he closed eyes and let the breath out slowly. Then he opened his eyes and made his way to the trees that were behind the inn. He closed his eyes once more, thinking of the change and allowing it to overtake him. When he opened the eyes, he saw the wolf muzzle and the snow between his toes on each paw. A good hearty shake of his fur and he took off at a run. As the wolf he hardly felt the cold and that made him want to be the wolf a lot more, but he had duties that kept him from doing that. His daughter was the biggest one, of course. Then there was his family and friends as well as the pack. And Froka. He stopped on a ledge overlooking Dragon Bridge and sat down, his tongue lolling as he panted from the exertion of the run.

Froka was quickly becoming important to him just as his family was. He had dreamed of a future with her, seen what she would look like with their child in her arms, if only in those dreams. He wasn't sure what he should do. If it came out that he and Froka were sleeping together, even if it was just in their group, it would change everything. The dynamic of the pack demanded him to be the leader and the rest of them to be the submissives. If he played favorites and chose one of them to rise above the rest, there would surely be mutinous talk among them. That wasn't something he wanted to see. The pack was too close for him to think about being betrayed by any of them. He wouldn't think about that. Shaking his lupine head, his ears flicked backwards as he heard the telltale crunching of snow and quickly leaped into the bushes to hide his huge white form. His blue gaze looked out to see the black wolf with its glowing yellow eyes. Talos. He stepped out of the bushes and sat down.

"What are you doing here?"

"You do not wish to see me, Frost-Blood?"

"No, it's not that. I just... Well, I didn't think to see you anywhere but at home."

"I am everywhere, Frost-Blood. Better you learn that now."

"I understand. To what do I owe this visit?"

"I have been watching you, Frost-Blood. You remind me of myself when I was mortal. Did you know that I once fought to unify all of Tamriel? The Tiber Wars as it became known." The black wolf shook his head and sat down on the ledge. "I never asked for any of that. I mean I had aspired to be Emperor, what man didn't, but to have a series of conflicts named after you? Not exactly how I wanted to be remembered. However, I became the Emperor and the rest is history." He sighed. "I come to you tonight because I know the trail that you are on. I also know you do not wish to be anything other than a soldier for Ulfric and free Skyrim from Imperial control."

"That's right. I don't want to be anyone's puppet." Including yours, he added in his head.

"I have no wish to make you a puppet." As if he could read Grim's mind. "I fear that the Stormcloak army has no such thought. They care not for who gets hurt in the process, only that the ending reached is the same." He rose to all four feet now. "Come run with me. We'll hunt and talk." Then he bounded away into the foliage, leaving Grim sitting on the ledge in the snow, alone.

Grim stood up and shook the cold off his fur, then snorted the snow out of his nose and took off after Talos. If the god wanted to run and hunt with him, who was he to deny him? The white wolf followed the black wolf, his tongue flapping in the wind and feet flying over the snow. It felt so good to be running and not have to worry about the cold. He stopped when he noticed Talos had done so and it was then that he got the scent. He licked his lips and then began to stalk his prey. Talos, too, lowered his head and stalked the beast. As they reached the top of the hill, a white stag could be seen digging in the snow to get to the tender shoots. Grim laughed inside and took off after the distracted stag. Only when he was close did he realize how large the animal was. Also how unperturbed it was by his presence. It didn't flee from him as he approached. Instead, it turned its head and stared at him.

"Your hunt was decent, Frost-Blood. Talos, you have taught this one well."

"Hircine. Thank you. He has natural instincts, you know."

Hircine? Grim couldn't believe that he'd almost killed a Daedric Prince. Or the aspect of one as he didn't believe that the actual Prince was a stag. He shook his head and stepped back. Apparently Talos knew Hircine well enough to talk about him.

"Natural instincts. Interesting. Frost-Blood, I have seen the way you hunt as human and you do so fairly. Thank you for that. You do not look for the fastest way to hunt."

"You're welcome, I guess. I hunt the way I was taught by my father. He always pays his respects to the animal during the hunt and after."

"And that is what I'm talking about. That respect. It is hard to find these days. Keep it with you always."

"I will."

Then the stag nodded at Talos, and turned, bounding away as stags often do, disappearing into the snow that had started to fall. Grim sighed as he realized he would have to head back to Dragon Bridge soon. He looked over at Talos and tilted his head.

"You knew he was going to be here, didn't you?"

"I did. He asked if he could meet you. Said he wanted to judge you himself. Apparently he liked what he saw or he would have stomped you dead."

Grim shuddered at the thought of being stomped to death by the sharp hooves of a large stag like that. He swallowed and then licked his muzzle before standing once again.

"I have to get back before dawn. Will you run with me or am I to run back alone?"

"I'll never leave you alone, Frost-Blood. I like you."

The black wolf then jumped away and ran through the snow as if it were nothing. Grim shook his head again and followed at a similar pace. He had to admit that these meetings with Talos were getting easier and easier for him to deal with. This was the first time he'd met any other beings. Hircine, the Daedric Prince of the Hunt, had wanted to meet him. Liked the way he hunted. That was amazing, to him and something that he would always keep inside. It wasn't like he could go talking about this to anyone. They'd think he was insane if he did. Hell, the first time he met Talos in his wolf aspect, he had thought he was insane himself. As they ran back toward Dragon Bridge, he was amazed that he had come so far and gotten so used to everything in his world.

Five years ago he wouldn't have dealt with all the stuff he's had to deal with. Five years ago all he wanted was to be a blacksmith and marry a Redguard woman named Eir. A woman who had given up on him and married someone else. Now he had a daughter that he loved very much, a woman he was coming to care deeply for and was the leader of a small band of rebels trying to make Skyrim a better place to live and worship Talos. His favor by Talos may have started with his want to be free to worship the god wherever he was at, but had moved into something of a friendship. Grim wasn't so far gone that he thought there wasn't a goal behind the friendship for Talos, but the fact remained that they were getting to know one another and he couldn't talk to anyone about it.

The trees behind the inn came into view and he noticed that the black wolf had disappeared. He'd been so deep in his thoughts that he hadn't realized that Talos had left. He grinned wolfishly and then stopped in the trees and closed his eyes. The change back came over to him and the next time he opened his eyes he was once more human. He let out a soft sigh at his loss for now and then hurried back into the inn. It was really snowing now and he was sure it would last a while. They certainly weren't going anywhere that day. It was almost dawn, but you wouldn't know it with all the clouds and snow. He shook his head and went to the fire once he was inside the inn. He sat in a chair and let the fire warm him. He must have been tired because he suddenly jerked awake when there was a loud clang behind the counter. He sat up and watched Faida lean down and pick up the pots she had dropped. Stretching, he looked over to see the group sitting at their table and now watching him. He laughed.

"Guess I fell asleep."

"No one wanted to wake you up," Jax said with a laugh.

"I suppose I'm glad for that. I must have known that the snow was coming. I couldn't sleep well at all and I was cold, so I came to sit by the fire. It was so warm and I was tired enough that I must have fallen asleep. Oh well."

Grim got up and walked over to the table, sitting down next to Jax and Rhoni. He put bread and cheese on his plate and poured himself a mug of mead, taking a sip of this first. He sighed and then started to eat.

Conversation during breakfast was casual, mostly just talking about the weather and how cold it was outside and how they just wanted to relax and sit around the fire all day. He agreed, wanting to rest up that day after running all night long, not that anyone knew about that. He couldn't get Hircine out of his head and frowned as he thought about that. Froka saw him frowning and touched his shoulder lightly.

"What's on your mind, Grim?" she asked.

"Oh, uhm, nothing, Froka. Just thinking of home and my daughter, I suppose. It is the longest I have ever been away. I fear that she will have forgotten me by the time I return home." It wasn't a lie, he did feel that way.

"I'm sure she won't forget you, Grim. I'm quite certain, though, that she misses you deeply and wishes you were home. What little girl wouldn't?"

"You're right. Perhaps on our next vacation we can head toward Kynesgrove." He then sighed and leaned back in the chair he was sitting in.

"Did I ever tell you about my pops?" Jax asked, wanting to get everyone out of the funk they seemed to be in.

"No, why don't you do so now? We could all use a story," Grim suggested and so Jax delved into the story of his father.

The story Jax told of his father was full of adventure and suspense, as well as a little love, too. It just went to prove that Jax was a very good storyteller. Everyone was on the edges of their seats waiting for what he would say next. He had been like that before, but not since he was ten years old did he act that way when another was telling a story. Whether it was all true or not didn't matter to any of them. It was the way he told it, he gripped them all, even Faida behind her counter was enthralled. Grim had to say that if anyone was to talk a dog off a meat wagon it would be Jax. That man had a way with words. When the story was done, he stretched and laughed with the others as he said "good job" to Jax. Then he went into his room and lay on his bed, a book in his hands. Sitting up and back against the wall he opened the book and started to read. It wasn't that he wanted to be anti-social, he just wanted some quiet time and to read a little more of his book. He ended up falling asleep while reading.

Grim woke later with a shiver as he realized that whatever sun there had been had gone down and he'd slept almost all day. He groaned as he stretched and shook his head. Putting the book on the night stand, he stood up and walked to the window, looking out. It was still snowing and already there was several feet of snow. He would definitely get to see what a small community like this did when it snowed. Did they have some way of moving the snow? Or did they just stay holed up in their homes like he felt like doing? He didn't know, but he did understand the reasons why someone would stay in their house. It was warmer. He shivered and pulled on his cloak, leaving his room and entering the common area of the inn. Inside were Lodvar and his brother Horgeir as well as Horgeir's wife, Olda. They were having dinner at a table by themselves. He took this moment to observe Olda and Lodvar, seeing what everyone else was seeing. The adoration in both their gazes was so blatant to him, but apparently Horgeir was oblivious. He wasn't about to disillusion the man about Olda and Lodvar, though. He seemed a decent sort of man. Except for his drinking.

Looking around, he also noticed Gaius Maro and his two Penitus Oculatus people sitting at another table in the corner. Again, the obvious gazes from Gaius to Faida was unmistakable and he smiled at them. At least there was love amongst the people here in Dragon Bridge. They would have to be careful what they talked about tonight, though, with the Penitus Oculatus group in the inn. That was easy to do. He turned his eyes from that table to another table and grinned. It was Azzada and his wife with Clinton, Julienne, and someone he hadn't thought would ever be sitting with the Lylvieve family, Salk. So, apparently when it snowed here everyone stayed together in the inn. Made sense. You used one fire to keep everyone warm. As he looked, he saw Lucky laying down near the fire pit and he shook his head. Spoiled goat, for certain. His own group was sitting together at their regular table and he grinned at them, heading over. He took his cloak off and hung it on a hook on the wall. He didn't need it here with the fire going. He was glad to see that Azzada was obviously working to accept Salk's suit of his daughter. It pleased him and he was sure it pleased Salk as well.

"Snow's getting bad, eh?" he asked the group as he sat down.

"Aye. Already three feet out there and it's not showing signs of being done anytime soon," Rhoni said with a shrug. "Three days into our vacation and we're gonna get snowed in." He laughed.

"It really looks that way, but I doubt we'll be stuck here until spring. Just until the storm is done," Grim told them and then dished out some soup into a bowl, grabbed a bit of bread and cheese and started to eat.

"You slept all day, Grim. Were you that tired from last night?" Marte said softly, not accusatory.

"I was tired, but I didn't go into my room expecting to sleep." He laughed and shook his head. "I was reading, and ended up falling asleep. Oh well, guess I needed it."

"Guess so. So, where do ye think everyone'll end up sleepin' t'night?" asked Kohl, looking around the main room of the inn.

"I'm willing to give my bed up for Azzada and Michel if needed. We're guests in this town. They're the residents. This is their safe place to go to whether the storms."

"You're right, Grim. I'll give up my bed as well," Froka said.

"Me, too," Marte added, taking hold of Froka's hand and smiling. Froka smiled back at her.

"Fine, I'll give mine up, too," Kohl said begrudgingly.

"Yep, me as well." Rhoni nodded and then sipped his mead.

"You don't even have to ask for me to do so, Grim. It's the right thing to do." Jax took a bite of cheese and chewed slowly.

"That just leaves Salk and I'm pretty sure the boy will give his bed up as well. He's so full of love he'd barely even register the words I was asking were I to speak them now." Grim laughed and sipped his mead.

"You're probably right about that. I'm glad that at least one of us is finding some love here in Dragon Bridge. Though to be fair, there are very few available women around. Faida's in love with Gaius and Julienne's in love with Salk. That takes care of the single ladies," Rhoni said.

"Aye, but there's other places ye could find love, Rhoni. Like the stables," teased Kohl and pushed him. Rhoni pushed him back laughing. Grim shook his head once more at their antics. He had a good group to work with, that was for sure.

The storm lasted for two more days and dropped nearly five feet of snow total on the small town. Grim had shaken his head the morning after it ended and could hardly believe that so much snow had been dropped. He'd trudged through the snow for the past few days just back and forth to the stables to make sure the horses had water and feed. He didn't need to worry about the cold, they were hardy Skyrim horses and were thus used to the cold. Each time that he had come in his friends would chuckle and laugh because he would immediately go to the fire to warm up. Growing up in Hammerfell had given him a disadvantage when it came to cold and even his Nord blood could only do so much to combat the mind's reaction to cold.

Today, however, he was dressed warmly and looked over at Azzada. The two of them, with Gaius and his comrades, Clinton, Lodvar and a surprisingly sober Horgeir, as well as his entire crew were working on clearing the snow away from the door. Using a thick pine bough to move the majority of it, they then used buckets and brooms to move the rest of it. With so many people working on it, snow removal didn't actually take too long. A couple hours and they had made a trail across the road to Horgeir's house. Their next task was to make a trail up to Azzada's. This took another couple of hours. By then, the men were hungry and cold, so they went into the inn and warmed up by the fire and ate a lunch of hot soup and bread with a lot of mead, something that made Horgeir happy about. Olda had stayed in the inn to help Faida, Michel and Julienne with the food preparation. After their break, they went back out and returned to snow removal duty.

Their first task after returning to work was to make a pathway to the Penitus Oculatus outpost. Grim could have done without doing them any help at all, but since no one here knew they were Stormcloak soldiers he couldn't very well have said he wouldn't do it. It took another couple hours to make a trial to that building as well. Their final tasks were to make a path to the lumber camp and mill. This was accomplished in a few hours and they finished just as the sun was setting. Since the town depended on the money made through the mill, they'd had to make sure it stayed open and working. At least the river was fast enough that it didn't freeze so the water wheel still turned. He shivered as he thought about having to go into the water and unstick it to get it turning again. Luckily they didn't have to do that. When they all traipsed into the inn that night, each and every one of them was dead tired. Clinton actually fell asleep eating his supper and Grim shook his head with a grin on his face. He remembered being that tired as a child. He walked over to Azzada's with him and Michel, carrying the boy.

"They're so peaceful when they sleep, no?" he asked Michel and she smiled.

"They are. I find myself amazed that Azzada and I created such a handsome boy," she teased and looked at her husband.

"Sure, sure. You just wait, my dear."

"Promises, promises." She grinned and kissed his cheek before heading into a different room.

Azzada motioned for Grim to follow him and headed to the front room of the house, sitting down at the table. He looked at his friend and wondered what was up. He found out in the next moment and he had to admit that he wasn't exactly surprised about it in particular, just that he hadn't been told yet.

"That young friend of yours, Salk, has uh, asked for Julienne's hand. Did so as we were gathering up all our stuff from the inn to come back home."

"Anyone can see that the two of them are in love, Azzada."

"Aye, they can. I just... I never expected to find myself losing her so soon. You know? She's my little girl no matter how old she gets."

"Believe me, I understand that feeling. Lifa's only five and already I feel that way. I can't imagine what you must be going through right now. All I can tell you is that Salk is a wonderful friend and companion. He has a kind heart and is smart. Julienne would never want for anything."

"He does seem to be a decent person, Grim. I mean, they've had all this time together and I have no doubt as to my daughter's virtue. The boy's a gentleman."

"So do you intend to allow the marriage, then?"

"I don't know. Michel and I have to talk about it, but I think I'm leaning towards saying yes. He's a good guy, right Grim?"

"Of course. I wouldn't have added him to my travel group if I didn't think he was a stand up guy. Salk's the youngest of us all, but he's one of the bravest."

"Thank you. I needed to hear what you thought about him before I made a decision. I'll let you get back to the inn in case anyone else needs help. Thanks again, friend."

Azzada held out his hand and Grim shook it, smiling. He might just be going back to Istar one comrade short. He didn't know, of course, what Salk intended to do after wedding Julienne, but regardless, this was almost surely where they would make their home. Julienne planned to take over the Four Shields Tavern someday. He didn't believe that something like getting married would change that and he had a sense that Salk would let his wife do whatever she wished to do. He said goodbye to his friend and then made his way back to the inn. Entering, he noticed that Gaius and his men had already left and returned to their outpost. He shrugged and figured that was better because he didn't want to make conversation with them. He did see that Horgeir seemed to be back to his old drinking self. Olda and Lodvar were noticeably absent and he shook his head. How the man didn't know that his wife was sleeping with his brother he had no idea, but he wasn't about to say anything. He went to his own group and sat down, sighing. He looked at Salk and nodded, letting him know that he knew about his marital interest in Julienne. The boy blushed red and ducked his head, sipping his mead.

"I'm beat. I haven't worked that hard in months." He grinned at the others.

"Same here. Glad we helped out, though," Marte said.

"Aye, I think a bath's in order." Kohl got up and disappeared into his room that he shared with Rhoni who rolled his eyes.

"Great. He Jax, mind if I stay in your room for a while? It ain't like Salk's gonna be coming to bed anytime soon anyway. Not as long as his girlfriend's working." He teased, but clapped the boy on the shoulder.

Jax nodded and said his own goodnights to everyone before the two of them went into Jax's bedroom with a deck of cards.

"Marte and I are gonna turn in, too," Froka told Grim, smiling at him.

Marte said goodnight and disappeared to their room. Grim was left at the table with just Salk and he grinned at the boy. He wasn't exactly sure how to even bring up the subject, but he didn't have to because Salk spoke first.

"I didn't come to you first, sir, because I felt it right to ask Azzada first. Julienne wanted to uhm, yeah..." He blushed again and Grim got the impression that Julienne was not the only virgin involved here. "I told her I wouldn't unless we were wed. So then she said that yes, she would marry me." Salk wet his lips. "It all happened very fast, Grim."

"Don't worry, Salk. Men and women have been getting married since the beginning of time. You'll manage."

"I know, but well... It's the weddin night that I'm uh, unsure of." He swallowed and looked around, then not seeing anyone but Horgeir at the other side of the room, looked back at Grim. "I ain't never..."

"It's okay there, too, boy. Your body knows what to do. When the time comes, just let it lead you and you'll be all right." He realized he'd been correct in his assumptions.

"And she... Is there any advice on how to help her?" Salk thought this was a very personal conversation to be having with one's commanding officer, but Grim had become much more than just a CO.

"Take it slow. Don't rush. For a lot of women the first time can hurt, so don't be shocked if she starts crying or there's blood."

"Blood?"

"Aye. 'Tis the sign of a woman's virtue being true and untainted. Mind you, sometimes there's just a bit, sometimes a lot. Other times there could be none at all even if the girl is a maid still. It depends on the girl. You do know what to do, yeah?"

"I know my uh, staff goes into her. I've seen horses mating."

"All right, well, it's not exactly like that. We come together face to face, you see. At least for the first time, you should. Afterward you might find a position that you like above all others, but the first time should be facing one another. Normally the woman is on the bottom, on her back." He sipped his mead. "And the man is above her. In that position your staff will find its right place."

Grim couldn't believe he was having this conversation, but it was happening. He was giving sex advice to a virginal Salk as the boy was thinking of marrying Julienne, another virgin. He shook his head slightly at the thought and then looked at Salk.

"You'll figure it out as you go, too." He grinned and finished his drink, then tossed coins onto the table to pay for food and drink, and stood up. "I'm heading to find my bed. You should as well, son. She'll still be here tomorrow."

"Thank you, Grim. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Grim went into his room and shut the door. He was exhausted and it was mostly because of all the snow removal that day. That and being on vacation and having very little to do otherwise. Being stuck in the inn for three days didn't help either. Too much longer and he was sure they would have all started to bicker among themselves. That wouldn't be good for anyone. He was half asleep when he heard the soft scratching on his door and knew it was Froka. He sighed and smiled, feeling the pull in his groin already. He got up and walked to the door, opening it for her, then stepping back to let her enter. Then he shut it again and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. He wore nothing when he slept, so she could see how quickly his body was responding to her. One hand raised and started to remove her clothing, then he picked her up and carried her to the bed. Even as tired as he was, and he was sure she was tired as well, they made love well into the night.

Grim held her as they drifted into sleep and he could start to see how it would be like to have another in his arms for the rest of their lives. He liked what he was envisioning, but he knew it wouldn't happen until they were done this civil war. He wanted to be able to worship Talos freely, sure, but more than anything he wanted the Empire out of Skyrim. They had Ulfric, they didn't need anyone else. He fell asleep with the thoughts of Froka, Lifa, Iddra, his family, Fjolnar, and everyone he'd ever met on his mind. Froka woke him during the night and with a grin on his face, he made love to her once more. She didn't leave his bed until it was getting light outside, later than usual for her to leave, but he hadn't wanted to let her go. After she had, he lay in his bed and sighed, a hand on his stomach, and tried to will the thoughts of their night together away so that he could relax and get more sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Time passed slowly over the next few days and Grim spent most of his nights with Froka unless he was "busy", which was his excuse that he gave her when he went out running as the wolf. On those nights he felt so free and alive that he couldn't believe that he had to hide it from the world, but he knew that to tell even those that he was closest to that he could change into a huge wolf whenever he wanted would not be a good idea. Not only would he be hunted as the werewolves and vampires were hunted, but he would lose Froka and the rest of the group through fear. He was sure of it. It was one of the things that Talos had warned him about five years ago when he'd given him the gift of transformation. Be careful with who knew his secret. People tended to act first, then ask questions afterward. He didn't need to be hunted for the rest of his life. No, better to keep everyone in the dark.  
Today was a warmer day overall, though it was still winter temperatures so he wore his cloak as he went outside to check on Matilda and the rest of the horses in the stable. The mare was pawing at her door as if she wanted to get out and he sighed. With the snow five feet deep in most areas, he had kept her inside more than she was used to. He frowned and shook his head, then walked up to the horse and patted her neck.

"Easy girl. You'll get to go outside today. I promise." Grim watched as she pinned her ears and bared her teeth at him, but didn't bite. "Aye, I know. Relax."

He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Clinton, eager for a day at work. He grinned and nodded. The boy had done wonders with the horses and he knew for sure that they had found a good job for Clinton. He liked animals and they liked him, so it worked out well for everyone. When the boy entered the stall next to Matilda, she snorted and turned her head to watch him.

"Oy! Don't ye worry girl, I'll tend to ye next," Clinton said as he started to rub down the gelding next to Matilda with straw.

"I thought we might take her out today. She's been cooped up too long now. She's used to being able to stretch her legs."

"We?" Clinton asked, still brushing the gelding with the straw.

"Aye. You're my partner here at the stables, aren't you?"

"I am! Do you uhm, just let her run free or do you have a rope around her?"

"Naw, I'll let her run. She's a good one." It was true, he realized. Matilda had never once run away too far, if at all. Previous times that he had let her run free she had gotten her running done, then come right back to him. He didn't expect this time to be any different.

"Wow. I wonder if I'll ever have a horse like her."

"Well, I'm not sure if you'll have one like Tilly, but you can certainly train a horse to stay around a certain area or person. Sometimes they don't need training, they just do it." He shrugged. "Like Tilly. She chose to do it, just as she chooses to help me fight everytime I come up against a bandit or wolves on the road. She's feisty."

Clinton smiled at Tilly, then finished brushing the gelding and left the stall, locking it. He went to Tilly and pet her nose lightly, then nodded at Grim.

"All right. Can I lead her out?"

"Of course, Clinton." He handed the rope to the boy and then stepped back, letting the two of them go outside ahead of him. He followed with his hands tucked into his cloak.  
Once outside the mare pranced and let forth an ear-piercing whinny that made even Grim wince, but then she was calm and waited for Clinton to remove the rope halter from her head. Grim watched as he did that, then the mare as she leaped away and ran as if she were running away from them. He smiled and leaned against a tree, Clinton looked worried, but Grim knew better. The sounds of her running through the snow and farting as she ran and bucked could be heard. She snorted several times, blowing hard, then came to a skidding stop in front of Clinton. She whickered softly and lowered her head, then nudged him before turning and trotting away.

"She wants you to play with her, Clinton."

Clinton laughed and shrugged at Grim, then took off after the mare. She played keepaway with her body and everytime Clinton would come close to her, she would dash away the other direction. Grim was glad to see the both of them having a lot of fun. There were other horses that needed turnout time, however, so he left Clinton in charge of Tilly and went to bring the other horses out to a pen that had been set up for crops next year, but was empty at the moment. He turned out two geldings first, leaning on the railing to watch them kick up their heels and enjoy the day. Then his gaze moved over to Clinton and Matilda. They were still having fun playing in the snow, now having a snow fight. He could see Matilda kicking snow at him and the boy making snowballs to throw at her. The fact that he could make both Clinton and Tilly's day by letting them play together was a surprise, but after a bit he understood it. Tilly enjoyed playing with Lifa, too. It was just that she didn't have to be as gentle with Clinton. She wasn't a monster, but she didn't treat Clinton like he was a ball of glass either. As the temperature cooled down, he was putting the last horses back into the stable and turned toward the boy and horse. He shook his head when he watched Tilly walk over to him, Clinton on her back, sound asleep.

"Well, would you look at this? You wore the boy out, Tilly. He can't handle playing as hard as you can." He laughed and then took Clinton off and held him in his arms. The boy didn't move. "Go on, get in your stall, girl," he told the mare.

Matilda nickered softly to Clinton and then nuzzled Grim's neck before turning and heading into the stable, entering her stall easily and getting a drink. Grim followed her and with one arm closed and locked the stall, then said farewell to the horses and headed toward Azzada's house to return the man's son to him. Clinton hadn't moved at all, remaining asleep as he walked over to the house. When Michel opened the door, she gasped at Clinton's form and Grim shook his head, explaining that he was merely asleep. He'd fallen asleep on Tilly after a day of playing with her. Michel laughed and took the boy from Grim, invited him in to warm up and then shut the door. Azzada laughed as well when he heard about the story and sat with Grim as they had a warm drink.

"That'll be a story and a half to tell later on when he finds a girl he likes." Azzada grinned and sipped his drink. "Thanks for bringing him back."

"Well, I couldn't very well leave him out there. The weather's getting cold again."

"That it is. Thank you anyway."

"You're welcome, Azzada."

Grim stayed at the Lylvieve house for another hour before making his way back to the inn for dinner with his group. The rest of them had done odd jobs here and there, but mostly rested. They were all enjoying their vacation. Too bad it would be over in a week and a half.

One day during lunch he'd gotten a bit of gossip from Marte that made him curious. Faida had served Horgeir mead for as long as she could remember and for the past couple days he hadn't been around. He wondered why that would be, so he assured Marte that he would speak with Olda. Maybe the man had decided, finally, to wise up and stop drinking. He knew enough to know that his wife would like that very much, but he didn't really expect that to be the case here. He hoped nothing bad had happened to the man. He finished his lunch and then left the inn, blinking in the cool sunlight that shone down on him. He brought the cloak up around his shoulders with the wind that blew past. He walked across the road to Horgeir and Olda's house and knocked on the door. When Olda opened the door, he nodded his greeting to her.

"Good day, Olda."

"Grim. What can I help ye with?"

"Oh, I don't know. I was just wondering about Horgeir. During the storm he seemed to hit the mead pretty hard. Everything all right?"

"Don't think I don't know that, Grim. He's always drinkin' 'way all of our money." She crossed her arms across her chest and leaned on the doorway.

"Sorry about that." Grim looked around before speaking again. "I know about Lodvar."

Olda narrowed her eyes and stood upright again, arms tensing where they were. Anyone could have seen that she was not happy at what he'd said, but there was little she could do about it. He had the knowledge. It wasn't like she could erase it from his mind.

"Ye're too nosy for yer own good, Grim."

"Aye, I probably am, but the fact remains that I know. Is it the drinking that's causing a rift between the two of you or is it something else?"

Olda seemed to size him up, deciding whether or not she could talk to him about her problems. After a tense minute or two, she finally came to a conclusion about Grim.

"He promised me he wouldn't drink anymore. Even went so far as to swear upon his ancestors. What sort of man does that?" She shook her head. "Well, I found out he's been stashin' his drink outta town. Near some cave. Haven't been there myself, but I don't doubt Lodvar. Said he's even got some wolves guardin' it." She sighed and looked out at the snow. "If only I had the courage to cut out his tongue and be done with it." She shrugged.

"Stashing his mead? That's a little odd, isn't it?" he asked her.

"Well, I told Faida not to serve him anymore, so he can't get it there. I asked Lodvar to make sure there ain't any down at the mill. So what else is he gonna do?"

"I could check it out for you, if you like. Maybe clear the stash out so he won't have it to drink."

"Mmm, and what would you get outta that?" she asked.

"I can only ask that you decide what you're doing. If you want to be married to Horgeir, give Lodvar up. If you want Lodvar, divorce Horgeir. Don't let the man think that his wife still loves him if he doesn't."

"I suppose that makes sense. Fine, get me the mead and I'll make a decision about Horgeir and Lodvar."

"Very well. Where did you say it was located?" he asked.

When Olda had given him the directions to the hidden stash and thanked him again for doing this for her, he made sure his sword was on his belt, his fur hat was on his head and headed to the stables to get Matilda. Once she was ready, he mounted up and headed out of town toward the bridge. Before he stepped foot on the bridge, though, he turned to the right and headed alongside the mill until he reached a shallows in the river. Here he crossed the frigid water and was on the bank before Tilly even knew what was up. Here Olda had said for him to ride along the pathway west until he passed a small ruin. The cave and wolves would be shortly after that. Grim urged Tilly onward along the hard to see path. Anyone could see that this was not a well used track. He heard his mare snort and looked up, ahead of him were two wolves sitting in the grass. Slowly, Grim slid off of Matilda and smiled. He patted her rump and let her go. She would have smiled if she could have, he was sure of it.  
Matilda charged out after the wolves who now came alert and growled, lunging at her. She dodged deftly to the side and kicked out at one of the wolves with a hind leg as it circled around. It yelped and fell to the ground, spasming. Grim quickly walked up to it and pierced its heart with his sword. As it died, he looked over at his mare and she was rearing with the other wolf in her jaws, then slammed it into the ground. He didn't need to go and kill that one with his sword, it had died on impact. That was his Tilly. A battle horse for sure.

"Good, good, Tilly. Easy now. They're gone," he whispered softly to her and calmed her down.  
He remounted the mare and shook his head at the waste of wolf meat, but it couldn't be helped. Tilly wouldn't take riding with a wolf very well. She had done it before, but it was hell on her nerves. He didn't see a reason to put her through that again. He nudged her onward and looked around. With the snow piled high, and rocks on either side of the path, it looked almost like a trap. Grim didn't like it at all, but he had to go with what was here. Life wasn't perfect. Besides, he didn't really think that there would be an Imperial ambush here, but it would have been a good spot for one.

Riding for just another ten minutes and he found the ruin that Olda had spoken of. He nodded and patted Tilly's neck lightly, looking around for any other hazards. If this man really had wolves guarding his mead, he was really further into the problem than anyone even understood. It was once more Tilly's ears that alerted him to danger. He looked down at them and then slid off her back, preparing his bow. As soon as he was off her back, Matilda went forward with pinned ears and bared teeth. He didn't see what it was until he got a little closer and by then there was little he could do about it. Matilda was deep in battle with a bear. A bear! He drew the bow back and aimed the arrow, praying as he loosed the arrow that his mare wouldn't move into the path of the arrow. He held his breath and let it out when the arrow sank into the bear's thick hide at the neck. The bear growled, struck out at the mare wildly and then fell to the ground. Matilda reared once and landed upon the bear's skull before she stepped back and sniffed it. Grim made his way over to where the bear's body lay and he sighed, resting his hand on Matilda's shoulder.

"You did it, girl. I helped, but you were the one who killed it. Thank you." The mare nuzzled his neck and nibbled on his hat, but he brushed her muzzle away with his hand and a laugh. "Come on, let's go. A shame to leave the bear skin there, but I won't be able to get it back to Dragon Bridge until the trip home."

Grim was a lot more cautious after that as he rode past the ruins and headed toward a small dip in the path. He saw the wolves without the help of Matilda, though he did dismount and let her charge after them. He went along as well using his sword to fight them off. It was a short fight, but he did happen to get a couple bites on his arms. After the wolves were killed, though, he used his healing power and healed it right up. He also used it on Tilly's chest that one of the wolves had managed to injure. Once injuries were taken care of, he went over to the box that held the bottles and shook his head. There were like seven different bottles, one was labled Dragon Bridge Mead, though. That was the one Olda had mentioned was Horgeir's favorite. He put the bottles in the saddlebags and shook his head. A shame to leave the meat, but he planned to drag the bear carcass already. Adding the wolves would just be too much. He mounted Matilda when he had everything and turned her back the way they had come. Once they reached the bear, he tied a rope to the front feet and held onto the other end. Then he dragged it back to Dragon Bridge.

Reaching the town, it brought everyone out of their homes when they saw him coming back through town dragging a dead bear. It was Grim's first bear and he was proud of it, just as his father had been. He was able to get it a little easier than his father, however, because of Matilda. If his father had had a horse like her then he would be much better off. He dismounted and smiled at Azzada.

"Care to help me prepare bear meat and skin?" He laughed.

"You amaze me, Grim. Every day is something new from you." Azzada grinned. "Of course I'll help you."

"You all right, Grim?" Jax asked him. Grim shrugged.

"I'm fine. Little beat up, but that was the wolves more than the bear. Tilly here took care of the bear for the most part." He patted her neck. "I shot it once." He shrugged.

"Sometimes that's all you need, though," Azzada said.

"Sometimes, but I'm glad I had Tilly with me." He noticed Clinton and motioned to the mare. "Take care of her, would you, bud?" He took the saddlebags off the mare and let the boy take the mare toward the stables. "All right, show's over folks!" He laughed.

Tugging the rope with Azzada's help, they managed to drag the bear around behind the man's house to skin and prepare the meat. He would give Olda the mead later on. Right now, he wanted to make sure his prize was taken care of. He'd gone there to help a member of the town and ended up achieving something that he hadn't been able to do since he started hunting. He'd always avoided bears because they were so powerful. He figured that now that he had gotten a bear, he could probably take down pretty much everything. He did have a sabre cat kill under his belt after all.

After supper that night he went back outside and stretched on the porch of the inn before walking across the path to Horgeir and Olda's house. He knocked upon the door and then waited. Olda opened the door and saw him, looked over her shoulder at her husband, then slipped outside to speak with Grim. They went to the side of the door and she closed it. He took the saddlebags off his shoulder and the clanking within told her that he had succeeded in getting what she had asked him to.

"Thank you, Grim."

"Oh, no. You don't get it yet. I need assurance from you that in the morning you will make a decision about what you are doing."

"Of course, Grim."

"Very well."

He reached into the bag and pulled out the Dragon Bridge Mead she had wanted him to get. When she had it, she sighed and then raised her arm, slammed it against the rail of the porch and looked at Grim.

"That felt so good to do." She grinned. "You may dispose of the rest of the mead bottles, I don't care about those. That one I destroyed was his favorite and the last one he will get. I'll make sure of it."

He shook his head and just turned, heading back to the inn. He had to say that Olda seemed a bit out of it sometimes, but he supposed that people dealt with things in their own ways. He couldn't say anything about it. He was a man who turned into a huge wolf when he wanted to. Some people just had secrets. It wasn't his place to dig those secrets out of people. He hoped that Olda would divorce Horgeir and choose Lodvar. He seemed like he could handle her better than his brother.

Entering the inn, he spotted Gaius and his two companions sitting in the corner, drinking and playing cards. He went over to his own group and sat down. He was clapped and slapped on the back so many times that he was sure it was red and welted. He was toasted so much that he was feeling the buzz before too long. It seems that his own companions were pleased with his bear kill accomplishment. Fjolnar would have been proud as well. How he missed the man and the fact that he wasn't there hit harder than it had since he had been gone. As he started to feel drunk, he told his friends that he was heading to bed. They should all do the same. He got up, tossed coins onto the table, then went into his room. He shut the door and managed to take his boots and shirt off before he passed out on the bed.

He awoke much later, shivering because there was no heat in the individual rooms. He rolled over and felt a body. His eyes sprang open immediately and he felt sober. His blue eyes discovered the body belonged to Froka's sleeping form. He sighed and shook his head, then removed his pants and climbed beneath the covers. He was cold, so he tried to stay off her body, but she snuggled against him and he shrugged. It didn't bother her, obviously. As he warmed up, he began to wake up as well. His body reacted to her being there and he lowered his head, his lips kissing her forehead. She woke up with a smile and touched his face.

"I didn't want to disturb you, Grim."

"I wouldn't have minded being disturbed by you, Froka." He grinned and then kissed her lips softly as he proceeded to make love to her.

He held her later as the night drifted more into morning and sighed. He hadn't wanted to start this affair, but now he didn't want it to end. He also didn't want anyone to find them out, so he nudged her awake softly. His blue eyes looked down into her eyes and he smiled.

"It's almost dawn."

"Oh Grim, must we always be this way?"

"Not always, my dear, but surely for now. Once our campaign is over, we can tell anyone we want."

"I hope that day comes soon."

"I do as well, Froka, but until it does, you have to return to your bed before Marte notices that it's empty." He kissed her tenderly again and then opened his arms to let her up.

Froka sighed and slowly got out of his arms and out of his bed. She dressed quickly, though, because it was cold. Looking at him, she smiled and then left his room, shutting the door as she stepped out of it. He lay there and watched her go, then closed his eyes and remembered the way she had felt in his arms. He wet his lips and went to sleep with dreams of her in his head.

In the later hours of the morning, he woke up and grunted at the light coming in his window. He shook his head and held his head to still the pounding within. Hangover. His mouth felt as if it were full of wool. Washing in the basin was a quick process, and a freezing one. When he was finished, he dressed and thought about shaving, but in the end decided against it. It was winter and he needed his beard to keep his face warm. Once he was finished with his morning routine, he went out into the main room of the inn where the fire was and warmed up there for a few minutes before making his way over to the table his group was seated at. He nodded to them all and then sat down.

"Morning."

"Morning, Grim," Marte said and then took a bite of her bread.

"You look like you crawled through Oblivion and back, Grim," Kohl said with a smile.

"Shut up. I ain't used to drinking so much." He grimaced and held his head in his hands.

"Here, drink this. It'll help," Jax said and placed a mug in front of Grim.

Grim thought about refusing, but since Jax was the resident alchemist in the group, he decided to believe the man knew what he was saying. He picked up the mug and flinched as the smell got to him. He almost didn't drink it, but a well timed hand on the mug helped the liquid flow down his throat. He gagged, but it was all swallowed. He looked at his friend and coughed.

"That stuff is disgusting. It had better work."

"Oh, it will, Grim. It's one of the first things I worked on making when I started learning alchemy. Handy to have in your basket of knowledge, no?"

"Aye, that it would be. Thank you."

"It will still be a few minutes before it starts to work, however." Jax patted Grim on the back and then went back to eating his own breakfast.

Grim grumbled under his breath about all the noise, but when he heard a particular noise, he turned his head to see the cause. He forgot all about his headache and sore body when he saw who had just walked into the inn. Fjolnar! He got up off the bench and went over to his friend, followed closely by the others in the group. He was glad that Fjolnar had made it back, sure, but he was a little upset to see that he'd traveled in such horrible weather. It was very cold out there. He did notice, though, that he wore a very heavy cloak and equally heavy clothing beneath. Faida leaned forward on her counter, curious about Fjolnar's arrival as well. She was a gossip monger, of course she was curious about it. He was glad that there was no one else in the inn at the moment.

"Fjolnar! It's great to lay eyes on you again. Tell me, what is the news from home?" Grim asked his friend.

"Come on, Grim, at least let me warm up before you interrogate me," Fjolnar teased, then put his gloved hands up toward the fire to warm them. One of them disappeared into his cloak and then pulled out a sealed packet that he handed to Grim. "There, read that. It's from Koli."

Grim took the packet and thanked Fjolnar, clapped him on the shoulder, then went to a table by himself to read it. He opened the packet and looked at the contents. Inside was a drawing done by Lifa and for a moment he was upset at the subject of her drawing, but then he relaxed. If Talos was watching over here then that meant she was in much better hands than even before. How many fathers could say they had a god keeping their daughter safe? Shaking his head, he smiled and set the picture aside and looked through the rest of the packet. He was happy to see that Kenna had also included a short letter to him. She was getting much better with her letters and he wished he could be there to see her, but unfortunately, he was leading this group and couldn't disappear for any amount of time. He would have to hope they stayed until he had enough leave time to make it back to Kynesgrove. Her letter made him sad, but happy at the same time. His father was no longer working, having retired fully. That was the sad part. The happy part came from the fact that the community they lived in was helping them out by bringing them food and other supplies. He knew his father must hate that, but he would surely have accepted it by now.

Finally, Grim took the letter from his brother and read it over. Sif was with child, their first child, and he was excited. Ganna was being wooed by Kayl who seemed intent on proving to the woman that not everyone was against her and her sister. He smiled at that and shook his head. Such mundane things happening in Kynesgrove. He just wished he could be a part of it. Another part of the letter, however, explained that their parents wanted to come back home. Grim frowned at that and tried to think if there was any reasonable way that could happen. He had no worry of supporting his parents, but he had three young sisters to think about. One that was of a marriageable age, he knew. Nessa, if he remembered correctly, was a shy girl, but when he had last seen her she had been eleven years old. Now she was a sixteen year old young woman and he could only imagine what that was like. His mind went to Salk and Julienne. They were both sixteen and Salk was about to ask Julienne to marry him. He sighed. He would write to his brother and tell him to let their parents know to make arrangements to come to Skyrim. He missed his family too much to not have them around.

"Hey Grim?"

"Huh? What?" Grim shook his head out of his thoughts and looked at Fjolnar.

"Just saying that we were going to take a ride out to that farm you and Froka went to. I'd like to see the quality of horses they have there for myself."

"Ah, okay. Who's going with you?"

"Oh, uhm, Kohl, Rhoni, Jax. I believe Salk's still wooing that girl. Marte and Froka said something about working around here today."

"All right. Have a good time and be watchful. There are guards that patrol regularly. Kohl, don't do anything stupid."

"What? Me!"

"Aye, you. You're the one who's always getting Rhoni in trouble, not the other way around."

"Fine. No fun. Got it." He laughed, though, and then left the inn with Rhoni.

Jax and Fjolnar left as well and it was so quiet after that. He shook himself out of his thoughts and brought all the papers into his room. Finding a nail on the wall, he hung up his daughter's drawing and sighed. It gave him such a sense of peace knowing that Talos was watching over her. She might run in the forest all the time, but at least she wasn't entirely alone. Even having Kenna and Einarr with her wasn't a definite for her safety. She had been finding things to get herself into trouble since she could walk. He sat down at the table in his room and began to write a letter to Koli. He wanted his family to come home to Skyrim as soon as possible, but only after the seas calmed down. During the period of Sun's Dusk to Sun's Dawn, the seas were too rough for sea travel. He didn't want them shipwrecking like he had. That meant it wouldn't be until sometime around First Seed or Rain's Hand that they could arrive. That was plenty of time, he hoped, for him to return home and prepare for them to live there. He supposed they could always go overland, but that would take months longer and they might have to travel through the desert. That wasn't something he wanted them to have to do unless it was absolutely necessary.

Grim sealed the letter and set it on the table, then went to lie on his bed. His head still throbbed a bit and he had to think about everything he had learned that day. Not only had Fjolnar returned from Kynesgrove, which he was very happy about, Talos was watching over Lifa, his parents were thinking about coming home to Skyrim, and his brother's wife was pregnant. He was to be an uncle! A true, blood uncle. He was already an honorary uncle to Einarr because he was so close to Iddra and Fjolnar. He was also the boys guardian should anything happen to his parents, just as Fjolnar and Iddra were guardians of his daughter should anything happen to him. Those weren't thoughts he wanted right now, so he focused on the idea of seeing his father again after five years. Would he have aged that much? What about Nessa and Tyra? His sisters were surely growing up, especially since they were sixteen and thirteen. And his mother. He missed her perhaps more than all of them together. She had been such a guiding force when he was growing up. He wished he could provide that for Lifa, but he couldn't. Only a real mother could and she didn't have one of those. Hers passed away giving her life. He talked about Aeri a lot, not hiding the fact that she was dead from Lifa, because he wanted her to at least know who her mother was. What sort of person she was. How her father could have loved her in the first place.  
He hadn't realized that he'd fallen asleep until he woke up and shivered from the cold. He was dressed, but his room had no heat, and his door was closed so there wasn't even that little bit from the main room coming in. He shook his head slightly as if testing it and found that he was no longer hungover. A good thing for him as he didn't like that feeling at all. He had meant to go out and spend time with Tilly that day, but apparently his body had had other ideas. He stretched and then exited his room. He soon realized that the entire crew was there eating at the table.

"Welcome back to the world of the living, Grim!" Fjolnar teased and smiled at his friend.

"Aye, it does feel as if I died and came back to life. How was the farm?"

"Just as you said it was. That stallion he has is nice, but much too expensive an investment, I believe."

"I didn't even get to asking him the price. Tilly said in no uncertain terms that he wasn't her type. I tend to go with her on that subject."

That brought forth a laugh from the table and Grim sat down, grabbing a bowl of soup, a chunk of bread and some cheese. Then he accepted the mug that was handed to him.

"Makes sense. She's the one who'll be spending her days with the beast, not you." Fjolnar laughed and then nudged Grim. He was glad to be back, that was for sure.

Grim had slept the entire day, but it had helped him get over the hangover. He felt as if he could take on whatever mission was thrown at him. Eating his dinner, he was quiet and listened to the talk around him. The others were asking Fjolnar about his trip to and from Kynesgrove, then about what happened while he was there. Other than a few agreements, little was asked of Grim and he was glad for that. His mind was still caught up in his thoughts, but he had enough sense to not stare at Froka as she picked bread crumbs off her chest. He had seen her doing, then quickly looked down at his bowl. He couldn't have hidden the lustful feelings he'd had at the moment. Things like 'I'll pick those crumbs off for you' and 'Let me help you with that'. He had to control those feelings lest he let on that he was sleeping with her to the others.

After dinner, he grabbed his cloak and went outside. He breathed in the fresh air and let it out slowly. It helped clear his head and he soon walked along the path to the stables where he went to visit with Matilda. She snorted as if upset that she was still locked up, but he shook his head.

"Not today, Tilly. It's too late, but I promise I'll let you out tomorrow."

He patted her neck and avoided her teeth, but after that she settled and let him pet her. He leaned on the door and looked at the other horses in their stalls. Each one of the stalls that the inn had were full and there was a good variety of horseflesh there. Two other mares and the rest geldings. He wasn't sure what to do about his mare. She didn't seem to like other horses much at all. She tolerated Larth, but he figured that was simply because they had been together for the past five years. Now it was just her realizing that she couldn't get away from him. She had to tolerate him because there was no other option. Grim laughed at the thought of Larth backing away from Matilda. It wasn't just a thought, it had happened. Back when they had first been put together. Tilly had asserted herself as the dominant in the pair and Larth let her. To be fair, Larth hadn't seemed a dominant type horse anyway. Matilda on the other hand was born to be a leader, just as Grim had been, apparently.

"All right, girl. I'm going to head back inside. Try not to destroy your stall." He smiled and then patted her once more before heading back to the inn.

After his visit with Matilda, he went back inside and warmed up near the fire. He noticed that the group had dispersed as they did usually at night. No one was especially interested in going out and doing anything in the cold and he couldn't really blame them. The months of Sun's Dusk and Evening Star seemed to be the coldest months in a given calendar year. There was little they could do about that, but at least they weren't having to clear out a fort or assault some camp or whatever else their commaner wanted them to do. He wasn't tired, since he'd slept most of the day, but at least his hangover had gone away. He said good night to everyone and went into his room. He undressed and lay in bed, his journal and a book on his nightstand. He started with the journal. Writing in it about his adventures and experiences and feelings. Things he wouldn't tell anyone else he was able to write down without fear of being looked at as weak. After he had written in that for a while, he put it down and picked up the reading book. He leaned back, opened the book, and started to read.

Froka didn't come to him that night and he had to admit that he was glad for it. He wanted to be alone that night and so he was granted that opportunity. He finished the book he had been reading and felt accomplished. He'd meant to read that book for a while now and now that he had, he was able to fall asleep. He woke with the dawn and stretched. A quick wash with the basin and then he dressed. Leaving the room, he saw that he was the first one of their group that was up. He saw Faida moving around the tables and she seemed to be setting up for the day that was starting. He nodded to her and sat down near the fire. It was relaxing here, without a worry. In just a few days they would have to return to Istar and get their new orders. For now, however, he could just enjoy the time off as well as the peace and quiet. He was still sitting near the fire as the others started to make their way into the main room of the inn. One by one they drifted in and came to warm up near the fire like he had. He migrated to the table since he was warm enough and grabbed a chunk of bread and cheese for his breakfast.

"Morning guys."

Conversation was slow that morning and it seemed as if everyone just wanted to eat and move like snails. Grim included. He did get up and stretch after eating and decided he would go and see what Azzada was up to. He went into his room and got his cloak, then went outside. The cold air woke him up and he felt invigorated. He walked along the path up toward Azzada's house and knocked on the door. He knew it was early, but the sun had been up for a few hours now and surely the farmer and his family were awake already. They were farmers after all. Even if they couldn't farm, there was stuff that needed to be done. Like chickens fed and cared for, eggs collected, Lucky would have to be fed. Plus any wheat that hadn't been ground yet would have to be ground. Michel opened the door and smiled as she welcomed him inside. He thanked her and stepped inside, then went to the table and sat down. She placed a mug of warm milk in front of him. He felt obliged to drink it even if he didn't care for drinking milk.

"Ah, Grim. What can I do for you, friend?" Azzada asked as he came to sit down across from his friend.

"Nothing much. I was just feeling a little cabin fever. Thought I might come and see how you were doing."

"Well it's funny that you should show up when I need you." Azzada laughed and then leaned back a bit.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, we were supposed to get a supply shipment a week ago and I think that was right in the middle of that snowstorm, or right after it."

"Ah, so you're thinking that it might be stuck or something?"

"I am. It's not uncommon for a cart to be a day or two late, but a week? That's not a good sign."

"I agree. It could be stuck in the snow, or it could have been bandits. The Divines know how bad the roads are these days." He shook his head. "I'll take a look if you want. It'd be good to get the group out and doing something good for people."

"Perfect. I was hoping that you would volunteer. I wasn't looking forward to riding out there, especially since we don't have a horse here."

"You won't have to go anywhere. My crew and I'll do it for you. Just let me know where the route is and we'll start from here and ride toward it and see what we come up with."

"Thanks Grim." Azzada then took Grim's map and showed him the route that the cart would take from Rorikstead to Dragon Bridge.

"Good then. I'll head out in an hour then."

Azzada thanked him again and then they talked for a little while longer before Grim said good bye and went back across the street to the inn to talk to his pack. They were all in favor of it, so Jax and Rhoni said they would go get the horses ready. Grim went into his room to get what he would need on the trip while the others did the same. Fjolnar came to his room and leaned on the frame. His arms crossed over his chest and he watched his friend.

"So, what is this really about, Grim?"

Fjolnar knew him too well to know that this was just helping out Azzada. He sighed and stood upright once more, looking at his best friend. He shrugged and then returned to packing up.

"We all needed to get out. We're getting to used to this. Everyone's getting a little snippy at everyone else, it's just time to get out, spread our wings, get the blood flowing again."

"I wasn't complaining, Grim, I just knew there had to be another reason. Thank you."

"I try to be honest with you all the time, Fjolnar. You know that. I do really want to help Azzada and this town get their supplies, but it was a good opportunity to get moving."

Fjolnar nodded and then left to make sure he had everything he would need as well. Grim finished and put the sword on his belt as the final thing. Then he went out of his room and shut the door. He found the others waiting in the main room of the inn. He went to talk to Faida quickly.

"We're headed out to check out where the supply cart is at. Shouldn't be gone more than a few hours."

"Thank you, Grim. With the cold setting in, we're going to need those supplies."

"Aye, I know. I've come to like this town. I'd hate to see it abandoned because of a supply shortage. I'm here to help."

Faida actually smiled at him and thanked him again, saying their rooms would still be there when they came back. He appreciated that and turned to leave with his pack. Outside the horses were standing prepared and eager. They had started to get fat and lazy as well. He went up to Matilda and patted her neck, then swung up into the saddle, setting the saddlebags on there as well.

"All right, let's follow the road out of town and across the bridge. The cart would be coming from Rorikstead, so it's got to be somewhere along the road." Grim urged the mare onward and she led the way down the hill toward the bridge.

They rode in single file across the bridge because of the amount of snow that rested on it. After they were across, they could ride two abreast for most of the way. Fjolnar came up to ride beside Grim and kept Larth even with Matilda. The mare snorted and nipped at her companion, but in play, not aggression. Grim looked at his friend and smiled.

"A good day to ride. Not windy, even though it's still cold, and clear. I don't see a cloud in the sky."

"It is a fine day, Grim. I'm glad you got us out here. Even though I just got back from a trip, I could see that the rest of you had been stuck there too long. We needed this to wake us up."

"Aye. If you had wanted to, you could have asked to stay behind and rest."

"I really couldn't, Grim, and you know it. If I had asked to stay behind I would have looked weak to my comrades. A man doesn't want to look weak to anyone."

"I suppose that's true." He sighed. "So how are they, really? Iddra?"

"They're really fine. Iddra included. She had a grieving period, but she's in a better mind now. Einarr wouldn't leave her sight for days."

"It is an awful thing to happen, Fjolnar. I'm sorry for you both."

"It's all right. We know it's a part of life, it's just really hard on the mother. I mean, she carried the babe for nine months and then suddenly, it was gone."

"Did... Did you know what it was?" he asked carefully.

"Kenna said it was a little girl, so small she could have fit into my hands with ease. It was clear that the child would not live long when it came out. It's sad, but I understand it better than Iddra did."

"My sister... How is she? Gosh, when I left she was Lifa's age and just as curious about everything."

"Kenna is adorable. She plays with Einarr, she wrestles with Lifa, and she helps Iddra with the inn. I think perhaps she spends so much time at our place to avoid your sister-in-law."

"Oh?"

"Aye. I met her, Grim. That woman could bring a flock of birds down from the sky with that voice of hers. Oy."

"Her voice?"

"Yes. She has a horridly high pitched voice that makes my ears want to bleed. I can't stay too long with her and I fear it is the same with Kenna. I don't know how your brother stands it."

"Perhaps he wears cotton in them." He laughed and Fjolnar laughed along with him.

"Perhaps."

"I can't wait to get home, Fjolnar. I miss them all." He sighed. "My parents want to move back now rather than waiting until the war is over." He looked at Fjolnar.

"Koli had that impression when he left to come visit. He says your father isn't doing so well."

"He's not. At least here I can help him and make sure he's got everything he needs and he wouldn't have to accept help from his neighbors. He hates that."

"If he's anything like you and your brother, I can totally see that. Koli's not what I expected."

"What did you expect?"

"I suppose I expected, since he was born in Hammerfell, a softer man. One that wasn't used to the weather, or the work, or well, I don't know, just not used to Skyrim."

"We Frost-Bloods are survivors. We adapt. When I first arrived I could hardly handle the cold at all. Now, while I still don't like it, I can stand in it without feeling like I'm going to die."

"That you can."

"Koli's always been the type to travel with his friends. During a break from school, the kids all decided to take a trip to the mountains. Koli was the one who held out the longest up there."

"Interesting family you have, Grim. To be sure."

"Aye, that they are." He grinned and then looked ahead of them.

They had been on the road for about two hours when they noticed a large mound in the snow. Grim motioned for everyone to stop and stand. He dismounted and went to the lower portion of the lump and moved some of the snow. He found a dead horse underneath and looked over his shoulder at the group.

"Horse is dead. Been dead about a week. Guessing this is the supply cart Dragon Bridge has been waiting on."

Fjolnar dismounted as well, moving to help Grim uncover the rest of the cart to see if the supplies were still there or if they were taken. They found the driver dead in his seat, an arrow in his chest. On the ground near the horse they found another man, they assumed he was a guard, dead with several arrows in him.

"They were ambushed." Grim looked around the area.

On one side there was a rise of rock and earth that made a ledge above the road, about twenty feet away. On the other side was a waterfall on the Karth River. He stood up and used his eyes to scan the area again. With it covered in snow, he had no way of knowing where the snipers had actually been located and what had happened. The best he could say was that the driver, his guard, and the horse were killed and the supplies were stolen.

"Bandits or Imperials, either way, it doesn't look good."

"No, it don't. Does that mean we get to fight somethin'?" Kohl asked with a grin.

"Yes, it probably means that, Kohl. First we have to find out where they took the goods. We didn't come out here for just a fight. We came to retrieve the goods that the residents of Dragon Bridge need to survive."

"Aye, sir."

"Now, spread out. Everyone help look for anyplace they might have taken the goods. A cart trail, a horse trail, whatever. We need a clue."

Grim then settled to start looking just as everyone else did, too. It took almost an hour, but Marte finally found what looked to be a cart trail off to the south a bit, then it turned sharply upward toward the rocks. Grim knew it could take a while, but they needed to follow the tracks as far as they could. Between the eight of them, they were able to follow the trail. Grim pulled the cloak tighter around him as they started to climb up. The trail took turns here and there, up and down, but then went through a narrow passage and then down. At the bottom of the decline, it turned to the left and Grim stopped everyone when he saw what looked like a depression in the ground. Smoke could be seen coming from it and he motioned to everyone that what they had been searching for was right there. They all prepared their weapons. Swords and axes were drawn slowly so no sound would carry to the thieves. Grim then started to sneak toward them, using the rocks and land height to his advantage. He had taken his bow out and was prepared to fire. He aimed his first arrow and looked into the depression. Inside were a band of ruffians about ten strong. It wouldn't be easy for them to defeat the thieves, but with smarts they could. He picked out the weakest looking member and let the arrow fly toward the Khajiit. His strike was true and the cat dropped to the ground. Two more arrows from other directions were fired into the depression at the bandits as well, both shots hitting and causing their targets to drop to the ground. One was dead, the other was wounded.

Grim then pulled out his sword and jumped down from where he had been shooting from and landed on the ground with a soft thud due to the snow. He was immediately rushed by two Nords intent on making him pay for the death of two of their band. With wolfish instincts, Grim dodged out of the way and then thrust the sword forward. Not hitting a vital area, he then blocked an attack from the side and leaped back. He regrouped and swiped the sword at the nearest Nord and opened a wound on the man's chest. He gurgled and fell backwards to the ground. The other man became angrier and started to swing wildly with his axe. Grim was able to easily strike the man with his sword and send him to the ground as well. He could hear the sounds of battle from all around him and he smiled at that. They must have attacked when he had jumped down. They were such a good team. As he moved further into the depression, he took out two more of the bandits, both Redguard this time. By the time they got to the last one, a Nord man, his entire pack stood there, Grim's sword to the man's neck.

"Where are the supplies?"

It didn't take long for the man to spill that he and his group of bandits had taken out the supply cart and stashed the supplies. Another nick on the man's neck from Grim's sword had him revealing the location of the stash. Grim laughed and shook his head, then told Kohl to tie the man up, they would take him to Azzada for Dragon Bridge to decide on his fate. Grim walked away and then took a deep breath. This fight was exactly what they had needed. It had done what he had hoped it would do. It had gotten everyone's blood pumping. They all made their way back to the horses. After remounting, they started the journey back to Dragon Bridge, the man riding with Fjolnar. Grim would send Jax and Marte back to get the supplies and use the cart to bring them in. The cart had been undamaged, luckily. Once back in town, Azzada expressed his happiness about their return and thanked Grim for thinking of them in regards to the man's justice. They would discuss what they planned to do later.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Azzada and the rest of the residents of Dragon Bridge talked among themselves for two days before they decided on sending the thief and murderer to Solitude with Gaius as an escort to explain the situation. Grim kept himself and the others in his group out of the discussion since they weren't technically a part of the town, they were just taking a break from their military duties and had chosen to rest at this town. They didn't need to get involved with the politics of Dragon Bridge. A day after the man left with Gaius a courier came through town and he was able to send his letter out to his brother in Kynesgrove. He also received a letter from Istar. He waited until after lunch time to open it, though, because he wanted to be sure that everyone would be there.

"Hold up, there, Kohl. We got a letter today," he said and then went into his room.

The others followed him in there and shut the door. Once the whole group was in the room, he sat on the bed and opened the packet of letters.

"I hadn't even looked at it yet. I knew it was from Istar from the seal, but other than that, I have no idea what is in here."

He looked through the writings that were included and nodded. He didn't say what they were just yet, he wanted to read over them first. After about ten minutes, he looked at the others and smiled.

"We've been called back. Our three weeks ends tomorrow, and we're to leave and head southeast toward a fort called Fort Snowhawk."

"Snowhawk? On the way to Morthal if I'm thinking correctly," Fjolnar offered.

"Aye, there's a map here showing the route." Grim handed Fjolnar the paper map and then looked at the others. "This means we will be leaving and I don't know when we'll be back. Salk, you may want to ask the girl to marry you now or you may never get another chance."  
He didn't say that to give them the impression that they would perish in Fort Snowhawk, just that they might not come back this way again. It was unlikely, though, considering how close to Solitude it is that they wouldn't come back through this way again. He shrugged and then looked over a few more papers.

"Orders say to do what we do best, sneak in and clear it out so that the rest of Istar's command can come in and control it. A letter from Istar himself says that things are heating up. Whiterun doesn't have as much snow and Ulfric is already besieging there. He says that by Sun's Dawn they should have control of Whiterun."

"That is good news. Wish we could be there, though," said Jax.

"Aye, I wish it, too, but we are given the orders we are given. It doesn't help that we are so good at it that once we clear a place out it takes Istar so long to get there, it seems." Grim laughed.

"I know. That last one was ridiculous. At least it was warm," Marte said with a grin.

"So, what are we facing in this one?" asked Rhoni.

"Imperials and a lot of them. The last scouting report says there were at least thirty soldiers stationed at the fort. This is one of the big ones, guys. Istar and Galmar are both counting on us. Let's not let them down."

"That's a lot, Grim. How're we gonna do it?" asked Kohl.

"I'll have to think on that tonight. I'll have a strategy to discuss with you all tomorrow. Go on and enjoy the last day of your relaxation before we return to service."

They thanked him and then left the room, except for Fjolnar who turned to him after shutting the door again.

"How many do you think we'll lose doing this mission?"

"I'm hoping none, Fjolnar, but I fear we may lose one or two, at least." He sighed. "I knew they were going to start sending us on longer missions, but I didn't think it would be so soon." He wet his lips.

"You'll figure something out, Grim. I have faith in you." Fjolnar put his hand on Grim's shoulder and nodded, then left the room. Left his friend to figure out a strategy that would work and not get them all killed.

He spent the rest of the night thinking over strategies, writing them on paper, realizing they wouldn't work, then thinking of a new strategy. He fell asleep with numbers and commands in his head, slumped over the papers he'd been writing on. In the morning, he woke with a piece of paper stuck to the side of his face and he sighed, stretching after removing the paper from his face. He still hadn't come up with a viable way to do this mission without losing anyone. That was the ideal, obviously, not losing anyone in the pack, but he wasn't sure it was possible. Perhaps if he showed them what he had come up with, they could add advice. He washed quickly and then dressed, feeling the chill to the bone. He brushed his beard and wrapped a piece of leather around the long part in the front to hold it together in a queue. Now that he was presentable, he went into the common room and smiled at the people there. He'd told Azzada last night as he'd made sure Matilda had her hay for the night that he was leaving the next day, so the whole family had turned up to bid them farewell. He could see Salk and Julienne at a table by themselves and he went to Azzada.

"Has he asked her yet?"

"Not yet, but I expect it before you leave."

"Do you think she will say yes and wait for him to return?"

"Eh, he's a good lad. I wouldn't mind having him as a son-in-law, Grim. She'll wait for him."

"Glad to hear it." Grim smiled and then clapped his friend on the back before walking over to the counter. He tossed a small sack of coins to Faida.

"That's to pay for everything we've used during our stay here. No, I'm not taking it back. If you won't take it, consider it a donation to keep the place running."

Faida tried to give the coins back, but Grim wouldn't budge. She huffed, but finally put the coin pouch with the rest of the money she had hidden beneath the bar. Satisfied that she wasn't going to give the money back, he thanked her for the wonderful hospitality and then went to join the group as they were saying farewells. It was a bittersweet time, but it was also the right time. They had stayed for far too long, he felt. The snow seemed to be holding steady for now, so they could travel without worrying about getting stuck in a storm. Besides, he didn't want to get too close to everyone. He had a home in Kynesgrove and that was where he was going when this was all over. Salk finally asked Julienne to marry him and the girl squealed as she said yes and hugged him. The pack congratulated the couple and then there was more conversation. Finally, when everyone had said good bye, Grim slipped outside and got a breath of fresh air before walking down the steps to where the eight horses were waiting for their riders. He mounted on Matilda and watched as the rest of them mounted as well.

"Come on, guys. Time to ride." Grim called out. He looked at the townsfolk. "Thank you for everything, all! Until we meet again."

Grim waved to everyone and then rode south toward the bridge with the pack behind him. After crossing the bridge, and they could ride more than single file, he looked over at Fjolnar.

"Each time I tried to figure out a way to get into the fort and clear it out, we ended up with at least two casualties and I just won't have that. I'm not sure what to do, Fjolnar."

"Perhaps we should wait until we reach the area and see for ourselves what it looks like? That might help put everything in perspective for you."

"Good idea. It's not worth worrying about right now anyway."

They took a left turn off the road they were on currently and were now riding east. There was another bridge, a smaller one, and had to ride singly again. Once they were across, Grim lifted his head and looked around. The area was kind of pretty, with the snow decorating the trees and covering the ground. It certainly made hunting easy when you could track your prey in it. He noticed a couple ore deposits that were showing up out of the ground and wondered why no one had mined them out, but he figured it might have something to do with how remote everything was out here. The road they were on met up with another and they continued on the merged road, but they were on this road for more than twenty minutes before he heard a distinct barking. A dog? He stopped the mare and looked around, turning in the saddle. The others had stopped as well, having heard the dog, too. As Grim watched, the shaggy looking dog came running down a small trail, he noticed now, and barked at them. It seemed to bark for a few minutes, then run back up the path, stop and gaze at them before barking again and returning to where they were at.

"Looks like he wants us to follow him, Grim," Rhoni suggested.

"It does look that way, doesn't it?" Grim shrugged and dismounted from Tilly who snorted and pinned her ears at the dog, but since Grim didn't tell her to get it, she stayed put. "Might as well follow him and see what's going on."

The pack dismounted from their horses as well and Jax said he would stay with them. Too many people might frighten the animal. Grim realized that was true and asked everyone that was following to stay behind him at a distance. He then took to the dog's trail and he noticed that it was quite worn in the snow. This dog had been running back and forth for a while then. Ten minute walk and he saw the shack as the dog ran up to it and inside. He looked over his shoulder at everyone and shrugged, then walked toward the shack. If it was an ambush, he deserved to be killed. However, when he reached the doorway, he saw that it was not an ambush. The poor dog was just lonely and probably hungry, too. His owner, he assumed, lay on the bed. Closer inspection proved his thought correct, the man was dead.

"You poor dog, you," he said and crouched, holding his hand out to the large beast.  
It was a big dog, and shaggy, too. A wolfhound, they called them. Good for running and hunting in the colder climates. The dog sniffed his hand then deciding that he was all right, licked it and wagged his tail. Grim started to scratch behind its ears when he noticed a book on the table that looked like his own journal. He picked it up and stood upright again. The dog barked and ran back outside to the rest of the pack. He read the journal, the last lines catching his attention the most.

'Well, after all my years living in these woods, it looks like the Rockjoint will finally be the end of me.' Grim looked at the man and shrugged. Poor soul. He returned to the journal.

'I guess that's fine. All my friends are long dead. The only one left is poor Meeko.' The dog returned to the shack and sat staring at Grim, wagging his tail.

"Meeko huh?" Grim asked and the dog stood, panting, wagging his tail so hard that he thought the dog might take flight if he wasn't careful. He shook his head and returned to reading the book.

'He was always a loyal companion, and I know he'll be able to take care of himself. I hope someday I'll see him again.' Grim finished the words and then looked at the dog and shrugged.

"Want to come with me, boy?" he asked the dog who seemed to get even more excited, if it was possible, and Grim laughed, patting the dog's head. "Come on then."

Grim left the cabin and Meeko walked right at his side as if he'd always been there. He looked at the pack and shrugged.

"Man who owned this place died sometime ago. Not too long, though, as he was still uhm, whole." He chuckled. "But this guy was left alone. His name's Meeko and it looks like he's joining us." He smiled, resting his hand on the dog's head.

"Welcome to the pack, Meeko," Fjolnar said with a grin and clapped Grim on the back before they all headed back toward the road and the horses.

"I wonder how much energy the poor beast wasted on running back and forth to the road," Marte said softly.

"I would expect quite a bit. He does look a little thin," Froka said, keeping her eyes on the dog and not on Grim.

"Aye, he does. I think he'll fill out a bit the more he hangs around with us. We have a tendency to drop food, right Kohl?" Grim teased.

"Oh sure, just can't leave that 'lone can ye? I said I didn' mean to drop it!"

Everyone laughed, even Kohl, and they got to the horses and mounted up. Grim motioned to restart their journey and was conscious of where the dog was at. Matilda, too, was aware of where the beast was. She snorted every time she saw him, but didn't attack him. It was clear, however, that she didn't like dogs much at all. That was to be expected. She had been attacked by wolves a lot in her young life. It made sense for a horse to view a dog as a wolf even if the people knew they were different. He kept the mare's attention on the road ahead of them and not on the dog that ran alongside her. He was impressed at the way the dog stayed close. It wasn't like he should have any loyalty to Grim or anything, but he seemed to understand that his life would be better off with these people than on his own. An hour later, he slowed them all down as the fort rose up in front of them.

"It's on a rise. Good for them, bad for us." He sighed. "We're going to have to take a rest here anyway so we can get the lay of the land and go from there. Dismount and tie the horses to the trees. Make sure they're secure."

The pack did as Grim ordered and all tied their horses to the trees. He sat on Matilda and stared at the fort, as if he would get an answer just like that. It didn't strike him and he sighed, dismounting finally. He secured her to a tree as well. His hand automatically dropped to Meeko's head and he found himself petting the dog.

"I think that maybe waiting until night would be our best bet here."

"Aye, you're probably right, Jax. We can use the shadows to hide in to get as close as possible to the bastards. Kohl and Froka, I need you both to go on a scouting mission. Do not engage unless absolutely necessary. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Sure."

"All right, I need to know how many are outside, and where they're located. It's on a hill, which means it'll be difficult to scout the numbers inside, but I'm confident that you'll find a way."

Grim waited until they had gone out before turning to Rhoni and Marte.

"You two will check the area around here to make sure we're safe. If you spot anyone, silence them before they warn the others."

They agreed and immediately headed out to check the area. This left himself with Fjolnar, Salk, and Jax.

"I want you two," he pointed to Salk and Jax, "to stay here with the horses. Fjolnar and I are going to see what we might be able to find to eat. Come on, Meeko. How's your hunting?" he asked the dog and then walked with Fjolnar, his bow ready to fire at a rabbit or pheasant.

They had been out there for about a half hour when Fjolnar spoke softly, looking left and right for any animals they might find.

"This is going to be a tough mission, huh?"

"It will be. No matter how we go about it, it's a very dangerous mission. We can't let anyone down. This place must be important if they've stationed so many soldiers here. Right?"

"Aye, that's what I was thinking, but I don't know why. Morthal's not that advantageous an area. At least I don't think it is."

"Well, it is positioned in between Whiterun and Solitude. If Galmar succeeds in taking Whiterun, they'll stage here next for a push at Solitude. Or at Hraggstad. Perhaps both since we will have cleaned both of them out." He shrugged. "Snowhawk gives them a vantage point to see the Solitude docks, so they could see when they're getting supplies or reenforcements. That sort of thing. Could also be a way to siege them. Who knows really."

He was quiet after that, pointing at the rabbit in the snow. Before he had a chance to shoot the arrow at it, Meeko darted out and began to chase the rabbit. Grim stood up and sighed.

"Oh well, guess it's bread and cheese for dinner," he said to Fjolnar, but his friend pointed behind him.

He looked over his shoulder and saw the proud Meeko coming toward him, a dead rabbit in his jaws. It wasn't chewed, which meant the dog was at least trained to hunt. He dropped the rabbit at Grim's feet and wagged his tail happily, panting.

"Good boy, Meeko."

He picked the rabbit up and shrugged. Smiling at his friend, they walked back toward their makeshift camp and tossed the rabbit at Jax when they got closer.

"Nice. What'd you do, scare it to death? I don't see an arrow mark."

"You won't, either. Meeko got it for us. The guy must have trained him to help with hunting."

Jax looked uncertainly at the shaggy dog and made a face that looked like disgust, then went to prepare the rabbit. Salk had started a small fire for warmth and for cooking on. Grim got the impression that Jax didn't like dogs. Interesting. He walked over to Matilda and hugged her lightly. She snorted and stamped a foot, but Grim merely shook his head.

"Calm down, wench. The dog's not a wolf. He won't hurt you."

Tilly didn't know how much he spoke the truth and decided to keep the dog in her gaze. Every time it moved, she moved her head.

"You and your odd quirks, Tilly. Get some rest, we have a fight coming."

Grim sat down at the fire and waited for the others to arrive back. Rhoni and Marte were the first to return.

"The area is pretty clear. Doesn't look like anyone has been out here except for us. At least not since the snow came down," Marte said.

"Yeah, all we saw were a few pheasant, but they flew off before we could get one," Rhoni added, shrugging his shoulders.

"That's fine, thank you. Come, sit down. We'll have rabbit for you to eat soon enough," he said and then found a log to sit on.

It took a while for Froka and Kohl to return and it was getting dark when they finally came into their "camp". Grim gave them some cooked rabbit before even asking them what they had seen. They both sat down and started to eat. Only after their hunger was assuaged, did he ask for their report.

"Ye were right when ye heard there were a bunch o' them at the fort, Grim," Kohl began and then took a bite of his rabbit.

"We came up with a count of at least ten out in the courtyard and on the walls," Froka said, taking small bites of her rabbit.

"Hmm, ten we could deal with, I think, but there's sure to be others that come when they hear the fighting. Right?" he asked them.

"Aye, ain't there always, Grim?" Kohl said with a shrug.

"Mmpfh. I don't like the odds here at all. How's the layout?" he asked them.

"Three towers, all with soldiers on them," Froka started. "There is a back entrance, however."

"Aye, and the walls sorta collapsed on the sides, so we might be able to get in that way," added Kohl amid bites of his dinner.

"Thank you, both. We might be here a couple days as we figure out a routine. Get some rest. All of you. We're not attacking tonight."

He would need to do some scouting himself, once everyone had gone to sleep, and he could sneak into the fort as the wolf. His only worry was Meeko. He didn't want the dog to make noise when he appeared as a wolf, but he wasn't sure how to make it so he didn't. He guessed that he would just wait and see what happened. It could be like Matilda. Even with her fear of wolves (and dogs) she didn't fear him when he was in wolf form. It was like she knew, so he hoped that Meeko would know, too. Conversation among the pack was subdued, everyone dreading the fight to come. Everyone had the sense that it wouldn't work out well for them at all. Grim could only allay their fears so much before it became worthless. The odds were so deeply stacked against them. After everyone had gone to sleep, and he had made sure at least three times, he sneaked over to Froka's bedroll and nudged her softly. When she came awake, he put his finger on her lips and smiled. Then he lowered his head and kissed her forehead. After that, he went back to his own bedroll and lay down. He wanted her to know that he missed her being in his arms. Now that they were "on the road" again, they would have less time with one another. He watched her grin, touch her forehead then put her fingers her lips in a kiss and close her eyes again.

He remained awake, and only when he was certain that she was asleep once more did he leave the camp and find a grove of trees away from where everyone else was at. He closed his eyes and felt his body change. When he opened his eyes again, he was the wolf and he shook himself and prepared to run toward the fort. He spotted Meeko watching him and he froze. Would he bark? Growl? Attack him? Meeko simply woofed softly once, then whined a little, and went to pee on a tree before sitting and watching him. Well then, at least he knew now that the animals could sense that he wasn't a true wolf. Or that's how he thought about it, at least. After one more glance at Meeko, he shook his head and took off at a run in the direction of the fort. He could hear Meeko following, but there was little he could do about that. It wasn't like he could tell the dog to go back to camp. He just had to hope that Meeko wouldn't ruin things for them.

Sneaking around the back, Grim stayed low to the ground, letting his white coat blend in with the snow all around him. His blue gaze found the archway that opened up to the fort and he waited. There it was, the man walked above and toward the tower to his right. He gave Meeko a glance and then slinked around the stonework and inside the courtyard, only to stop again to check where the soldiers were located. One of them came around the corner and almost walked right into Grim. He growled softly and lunged, knocking the man to the ground. His paws landing on the man's chest to keep him from saying anything. The soldier gasped, unsure of what had just happened, but by the time he did, Grim was taking hold of his throat and snapping his neck. He dragged the man to the wall and leaned him up like he was just sleeping. Then he looked at Meeko who was quiet and panting. His eyes said that he was eager to help. Grim was surprised at that, but he supposed he shouldn't have been. He seemed to attract animals that were like him. Just look at Matilda. He motioned with his head to Meeko, wondering if the dog would understand. It wasn't like he could say "Kill the soldiers" after all. Meeko woofed softly, wagged his tail, and crept out of the archway and toward the courtyard. He hoped he hadn't just sent the dog to his death.

Grim went the opposite way and sneaked through the courtyard, up stairs and over walls. He managed to bring down another three soldiers before it started to get too light to use the shadows to hide. He searched the courtyard and walls for Meeko and made his way down toward the entrance of the fort when he saw the dog. He was a little cut up and bloody, but he was still alive. Nodding his lupine head, he ran out of the fort's entrance archway with Meeko close to his heels. The huge white wolf and the large shaggy dog. Together, it seemed they had taken down eight of the ten soldiers in the courtyard. He ran to the same grove of trees that he had used to change before and closed his eyes, returning to his Nord form and letting out a sigh at Meeko.

"Poor dog. You really are a loyal one, eh?" he asked as he knelt before the shaggy dog and used his healing magic to help his wounds close.

After he was certain the dog was fine, he walked back to the camp with Meeko at his heels. Apparently seeing him change from human to wolf, then back to human didn't really affect the dog. Good thing. It seemed like he had just closed his eyes when he was being nudged awake by Fjolnar. He grumbled, but got up. He opened his eyes and rubbing the sleep out of them.

"Geez Grim, you're getting harder and harder to wake up in the morning." He laughed.

"Thought we might take a look at the fort today, see if they added more outside."

"Yeah, let me get some water first though." He sighed. Meeko sat next to him, panting. "And get some water for Meeko. He looks thirsty."

Froka smiled at Grim and went to put water into a bowl for the dog who lapped it up immediately. Grim drank greedily from the waterskin he had as well and leaned back on the saddle.

"How'd you guys get a look at the fort without being spotted?" he asked Froka and Kohl.

"We climbed trees. It wasn't easy, but we managed it," Froka said before Kohl could.

"Aye, shimmied right up and sat on a branch o'erlookin' the fort."

"Would you be up to it again today? Fjolnar's right, we should make sure they didn't double up on guards or something." He shrugged.

"I don't mind at all, sir," Froka said and then looked down at the dog who was nuzzling her.

"Course, sir. We're here to do what we can for the mission, right?" Kohl offered and then went to take a leak behind a tree.

"Good. The sooner the better. If we know what we're up against, we can fight better."

"We'll leave right away."

He nodded to them and closed his eyes again, wanting to just curl up and go back to sleep, but Fjolnar wouldn't let that happen.

"So, what should the rest of us do today?"

"Uhm, prepare our weapons for attack. Make sure the armor's in good condition. Keep the horses exercised, fed and watered. There's really little we can do at the moment. It's a waiting game."

Fjolnar and Rhoni took care of the horses. Marte and Jax worked on making a vegetable stew. Grim rested and Salk missed Julienne. Hours later, Froka and Kohl returned and were breathless from running back. Grim raised a brow as he waited for them to catch their breath so they could talk. Then he listened intently.

"The soldiers... There was an attack during the night.." Froka said between breaths.

"An attack? What are you talking about?" he asked her.

"Don't know... What did it... But there was a lotta activ'y... 'round the fort today," Kohl added, hands on his knees.

"Soldiers running back and forth, Grim." Froka spoke, standing upright again. "I caught a word or two on the breeze. Something about an attack."

"That's all... We know." Kohl groaned and then laid down on his bedroll.

"Very good, both of you. Thank you. Rest up."

Grim sat there, thinking. So his attack during the night wasn't noticed until this morning, eh? Well, his and Meeko's attack. He patted the dog's head. Perhaps he would make another trip tonight just to lower the odds against them. Anything to help them win, right? The rest of the day was quiet and restive. They had vegetable stew that night for supper and even their conversation was subdued. It was like they were anticipating an attack at any moment, the air was pregnant with tension and it bothered him. He told everyone he needed to take a walk. He left camp with his cloak on and Meeko at his side. He had to get away from everyone's intensity otherwise he would have changed right there. It was that powerful. He leaned against a tree, his hand on Meeko's head, and closed his eyes. He didn't change, though. He just breathed. As he stood there, he felt hands come around him and a head rest on his back and knew immediately that it was Froka. He didn't feel like removing her hands, though. They felt really good where they were.

"I'm worried," he said so quietly it was almost a whisper.

"I know. I am, too," she agreed, keeping her head where it was, but moving her hands up to rest on his chest.

"I don't want anything to happen to anyone, but especially you." He let out a soft sigh. "You have come to mean so much to me, Froka."

"I know, Grim, and I am glad to hear it, but right now I suppose I finally understand why you were holding yourself back so much earlier. You don't want to worry so much that you don't let me go into battle with the rest of them. Right?"

"Exactly. I'm afraid that I won't be able to protect you and fight the soldiers effectively."

"You need to stop worrying about that, Grim. I can take care of myself. I swear."

"I know you can." He turned around so he was looking into her face now. "But I still worry and I think I will always worry, regardless of where we are in life. Even when we are retired and the worst thing you would face would be a grain mill. I will worry about you."

He lowered his head and took her lips with his own, kissing her tenderly. His hand cupped the back of her neck as his tongue wrestled with hers. He felt her fingers delving into the back of his hair as well. He was nearly so far gone that he almost didn't hear the clearing of a throat, but he did and immediately withdrew from Froka. His blue eyes lifted and settled on the form of Fjolnar. He swallowed and hugged Froka to him, as if to hide her idenity, but he was sure Fjolnar already knew who he had been kissing. He looked down at Froka and kissed her forehead, whispering to her that she should head back to the camp. She did so, blushing and avoiding Fjolnar's gaze. Grim turned away and walked further from the camp, obviously he had been too close when he'd kissed Froka. Fjolnar followed him.

"Guess I know where those marks came from now."

"Shut up, Fjolnar." He sighed. "I know how bad it is. I know I shouldn't have gotten involved with a subordinate, but I couldn't help it."

"Whoa, Grim. I wasn't gonna start in on you. Believe me, I know that when the lovebug bites you, you can't do anything about it."

"Lovebug? Who said anything about love?"

"Come on, Grim. You would have me to believe that you are just dallying with Froka? Risking your career for someone you don't even love?"

"I see your point. I guess I'm just not ready to admit it to myself." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Do you suppose anyone else knows?"

"I'm sure everyone does at this point. I've had a notion for a while, but just now it was proved. I'm sure everyone else is the same way. They think they know, but aren't sure." Fjolnar tilted his head slightly. "Why are you hiding it?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm the commanding officer here. I'm not supposed to get romantically involved with anyone in my command. What will that show to the others?"

"It'll show them that you do actually have feelings." Fjolnar laughed. "Honestly, do you think they'd really care?"

"Yes?"  
"They won't. They'd be just as I am, happy for you. And happy for Froka, too. I'm glad that someone brought you out of your self imposed monkhood. There's no need for you to remain alone for the rest of your life. What's more is that I think Lifa would adore Froka and vice versa. When this is over, take her home with you. Don't mess it up."

"Yes sir," he laughed and pushed his friend with a grin. "I'll be sure not to." He shook his head.

"Suppose we gave her enough time to get back to camp without being obvious? Come on, let's go." Fjolnar turned and walked back toward camp, Meeko walking alongside him.

Grim watched them go and wondered at Fjolnar's words. Would the rest of the pack be as happy to hear about his and Froka's relationship? He didn't know for certain, but he would keep it to himself a little longer. Let them get through this fight they had ahead first, then he could give them good news. If he told them now it would only serve to make everyone worry about Froka's wellbeing and he didn't want that. He knew she could hold her own, she wouldn't have made it this far if she couldn't, but he also knew that women were still viewed as weaker than men, even if they were just as good or better. Shaking his head, he followed the pair back to camp.

It darkened early that night and Grim sat with the others discussing tactics that they might use to get into the fort. He had already determined that he would go back to the fort, most likely with Meeko, and weaken their forces even more if he could. Perhaps the next day they could attack the fort. He knew he had told them night would be better, but if he weakened them enough at night as the wolf, he could lead them to battle during the day and be all right. At least this was his feeling. He didn't share with anyone because that would have meant sharing the bit about changing into a huge white wolf. He had the feeling that while his group would accept his relationship with Froka, they wouldn't take him changing into a wolf very well. Talos' warning came back to him and he decided even more that he would keep it to himself. It wasn't that he didn't trust the pack, it was just easier for him this way.  
That night, after everyone had gone to sleep, he slipped away and went to the same grove he'd gone to the previous night. Once more Meeko followed him and he knelt before the dog before he made the change.

"All right Meeko. We need to attack them again tonight, boy. Take out the soldiers, but stay safe."

He ruffled the dog's fur and then stood up. He turned, closed his eyes, and felt the change come over him. He breathed in the scents all around him and shook his fur when he had changed. His blue eyes looked at Meeko and the dog came up to him, nudging him with his nose. Grim would have laughed had he been able to. Giving the dog a playful lick, he turned and started to run toward the fort. Up the hill and around behind, just like the night before. Using the shadows to move around as well as the snow to camouflage himself. Meeko wasn't white, so he had to stay more in shadows than Grim did. As they neared the archway in the back, he stopped and looked around. He could smell the trap on the ground and backed slightly. Smart people, he thought. They must have seen the dog and wolf tracks and decided to set traps for them. He went back to a tree and grabbed a branch. Carrying it in his mouth, he brought it back to the archway and lowered it. Meeko watched intently, as if wondering what Grim was doing. The trap snapped shut and the branch was broken. Grim shut his eyes against the clanging in his head, but then dropped the branch and lunged at the first soldier to come running through the archway. They had heard the snap and thought they'd caught the culprit. He landed with a thud on the man's chest, his teeth already digging into the man's neck.

"It's... It's... It's... The White Wolf!" one of the soldiers said in a scared voice.

Another shook the man and then looked over at the huge white wolf with eyes like ice and blood on its muzzle. The soldier turned and ran into the fort, leaving his friend alone. As the man was stunned with fear, Meeko ran up and attacked, bringing the man down. Grim then went up and snapped the man's neck to end his life. Nodding at Meeko, they then went on their own. An alarm had been raised, so they wouldn't have too much time to attack, but apparently at least one of them had heard about the myth of the white wolf of Windhelm, as he had been called over the past five years. It wasn't a long attack, just ten minutes, but as he and Meeko ran from the fort, they left behind six more corpses. With the alarm raised, the tension of the fort raised, and numbers down, Grim realized the next day that it was perfect for an attack. That and he knew he wouldn't be able to take out anymore as the wolf. He had been spotted. They would be waiting for him.

"We fight them today guys. Get your armor on and your weapons ready. We will attack within the hour."

He led the pack to the fort and looked over his shoulder at them. Without speaking, he sent Kohl and Froka to the trees that they had discovered had vantage points of the courtyard so they could take their arrow shots without fear of being hit with a sword. He told himself that it had nothing to do with the fact that he wanted Froka out of the way of the melee fighting, but who was he kidding? Shaking his head to get his mind back into the battle at hand, he directed Jax, Salk and Marte to the left side of the fort where the wall had collapsed near the stables. He took Fjolnar and Rhoni with him around the same direction as he'd taken as the wolf the night before. Meeko came along as well, his teeth bared and ears pinned, he looked just as ready for battle as Matilda would be had he not made sure she was secured to the tree. He didn't need to worry about her getting hit with an arrow either. He'd already warned Froka and Kohl about Meeko and hoped the dog would be smart enough to stay out of the way of the arrows.

The branch was still at the archway as they came up and he could see traps set again, so he used the branch to set them off, which alerted the soldiers. They came around the corner and Rhoni and Fjolnar easily dispatched the two soldiers with their swords. Grim grinned and then they continued on. Meeko went in and after a quick look to Grim, turned to the right and headed toward the door that led inside the fort. Whenever it opened and let a soldier out, he grabbed their leg and dragged them over to Grim, Rhoni and Fjolnar so they could then kill the man with their weapons. This worked, for a while. Until the soldiers became smarter about exiting the fort. The four of them alone had killed six soldiers themselves. Kohl and Froka in the trees had taken the archers on the walls out, so that was another four gone there. Finally, Jax, Salk, and Marte managed to take out four soldiers of their own. With the count being fourteen dead Imperial soldiers, Grim waited at the door and soothed Meeko. The dog was eager to find more soldiers to sink his teeth into and Grim didn't want that just yet. Kohl and Froka would wait in the trees so they could shoot any of them that were coming out of the fort. He waited for the other three to meet up with him and Fjolnar and Rhoni, then he opened the door, letting Meeko go.

The dog had proved himself battleworthy so far so he was confident that he wouldn't be killed unless he got surrounded. He followed the dog with everyone else following him. His sword ready, shield protecting his body, he walked through at a near crouch, being stealthy. If they could sneak up on the soldiers, all the better. He figured they were just waiting for them to come through because they obviously knew someone was there. They just lost fourteen of their guys in the courtyard. The first room they entered was empty, with a closed door right across and two archway exits. On the right side was a stairway down and on the left side was a stairway up. Meeko turned and went to the left, making his way upstairs easily. The six of them followed the dog upstairs and slowed. Sounds of fighting came to them and Grim rushed up the stairs two at a time to make sure he got there in time to protect Meeko. He needn't have bothered. The two soldiers that had been there were now on the ground. One was dead, bleeding from his throat, the other was being held by Meeko. Grim easily slid his sword in and killed him.

"Good boy, Meeko."

He looked over at Jax and nodded to the door that was on the left of this landing and he looked at Fjolnar and nodded to the ladder that was against the wall. He looked up and saw what looked like a trap door.

"Be careful," he whispered.

He wasn't sure if Kohl and Froka were the shoot first ask questions later kind of soldiers and he didn't want his friends to hurt his other friends. Both led outside. The ladder was to the top of a tower, and the door led to a balcony. Fjolnar and Jax came back and they all went back down the stairs to the first room they came into. Meeko waited for a moment, but then was off again. This time down the stairway off to the right, barking and growling. Grim sneaked down as well and while the soldier was busy fighting off the dog, he thrust his sword into the man's back. A grunt sounded and then he fell to the ground. Grim patted the dog on the head and looked around. There were barrels of what he assumed was ale and mead against the wall and a doorway off to the left. He tossed a look over his shoulder at his pack and then nodded to the hallway. They went through and he saw there was a stairway back up as well as a tunnel off to the left and one off to the right. Motioning everyone to be careful, they moved up to the intersection and peeked around the corner. Meeko, tired of being sneaky, ran into the room on the right. More barrels of mead and two more soldiers. Grim and the others killed them quickly and he looked around the room. Bookshelves and a table as well as a chest. The chest had the soldiers' things in it, so he left it alone.

"As long as we take it slow, we should be all right."

"Aye. That dog is an amazing comrade to have in a battle like this," Fjolnar said with a smile.

"Meeko's doing well." Grim said and looked the dog over, checking for wounds. He found a couple small ones that he used his healing magic on to close up. "Get some water, Marte?"

Marte nodded and quickly poured some into a bowl for the dog. Then she took a swig herself, passing it around to everyone else. After their little rest, they were ready to go again. Grim led the way, but this time Meeko was by his side. At the top of the stairway was a portcullis that was closed. He could hear someone on the other side, and so could the dog. He growled and the hair on his back rose to stand on end. Grim looked around for a lever or a pull chain, something that would open the gate. Jax pointed to the button on the side of the stairway and he nodded, then pushed it. The gate slid down into the ground and opened the room to them. Meeko immediately bounded into the room to fight whomever was in there.

On either side of the gate there were counters with stools, food and plates strewn haphazardly all over the place. He could hear the dog fighting the soldier that was unlucky enough to be in the room and went to make sure Meeko was all right. By the time he got there the dog had killed the woman. At least he knew that Meeko didn't discriminate. A soldier was a soldier to him. After taking a look around, he realized this was the bunking area and it was empty. There was a huge double door that was opposite the portcullis that they'd opened. After pulling one side open, he noticed that it led outside. He shut it again. They had taken care of all the soldiers outside. They didn't need to go back out there. As he turned around, he saw staircases leading up from both sides of the room to a balcony above. He sent Jax, Marte, and Rhoni to the left and he went to the right with Fjolnar, Salk, and Meeko. At the top, on the balcony, was an open door. He motioned them all to sneak and put his hand on Meeko to keep him still. He listened and heard voices, then peeked slowly around the edge of the doorway. There were four of them in there. Too many for Meeko to deal with on his own. The dog was a good distraction, though. He took his hand off the shaggy head and let him go in after them. Then he motioned to his pack and they all charged in to fight with the soldiers.

Such a cramped spot, it was easy to kill the Imperial soldiers, with minimal harm to themselves. He used his magic to heal Marte's arm and Rhoni's chest, then Meeko's muzzle where a sword had nicked him. He wet his lip and noticed another door. It was closed, but he could hear at least one other person on the other side. They sounded scared. Surely they heard the fighting from this room and knew what was coming. He brought Fjolnar closer to him and whispered to him.

"Let's keep this one alive, eh? I'll keep Meeko here and you guys go ahead."

"All right."

Fjolnar nodded and then motioned to everyone else. He whispered the plan to them and then opened the door. Grim told Meeko to stay and wait and stood next to him. A few minutes later, Fjolnar brought a frightened young female soldier into the room where he was standing.

"How many are left from this point onward?"

"F-Five. Five. Now, may I go please?"

"Oh no, lass. You're a prisoner of war. You'll stay put."

Shaking with such fear, the woman passed out cold. He shook his head and told Fjolnar to tie her up, gag her, and put her in one of these rooms so she couldn't get away. Ten minutes later and they were back to hunting Imperial soldiers. There were only two more rooms in the entire fort left to check. There was one soldier in one room, and the last four soldiers were in the final room. They were able to get those men to surrender so they didn't have to kill them. Grim felt the exhaustion from the whole journey through the fort, but also felt proud. They had done it. They'd taken the fort for the Stormcloaks. After securing their prisoners, he went outside to motion to Froka and Kohl to come down to the fort. Later they would go and get the horses and bring them in, but for now everyone was just plain tired. Including Meeko.

"What a dog," Jax was saying.

"Does that mean you like dogs now, Jax?" he asked.

"I didn't say that, but I will say I am impressed with him. He's a soldier for sure."

"Of course he is. He's our dog. Our mascot." He ruffled the dog's fur.

"We'll have to bring the horses in soon, but I don't feel like doing it," said Marte.

"I know what you mean. This was a long haul through the fort. It feels good to be done with it, though." Grim sighed. He looked over at Froka briefly, then at Fjolnar and shrugged. He couldn't help it, she was beautiful to look at.

After everyone had rested, they all went to bring the horses in and set them up in the fort's stables, made sure they had food and water, then went back inside the fort to rest. They should have had a guard posted, but they were all so tired. Besides, if everyone knew this was an Imperial controlled fort, who would be stupid enough to try anything? Meeko remained on guard, though, and nothing happened during the night. The packet had said that they would be there within five days. It had taken them a day to get here, then a day waiting, and a day to clear it out. That meant that Istar and the rest of the Haafinger Stormcloaks would be there the next day. He hoped. The rest of the day was spent resting and recuperating from the assault. In the morning, Istar arrived just as he said he would.


	10. Epilogue

Epilogue

As he watched Istar come through the entrance of the fort and dismount. Grim and the pack had taken care of the dead Imperials so there weren't a lot of bodies stacked up around the fort. Istar took a look around and nodded, then went and shook hands with Grim. After the greetings were complete, the two of them went into the fort. The rest of the army would camp around the fort, the officers staying inside. Grim and his pack were allowed to stay because they were the force that cleared it out. Grim sat down with Istar at a table and Marte brought them both a mug of mead.

"So, everything was done as ordered, I see," Istar said gruffly, sipping the mead.

"Aye, sir. It took nearly a full day to get it cleared, but we managed it. We even have prisoners. Five of them."

"Very good. I'll have my interrogator have a go at them to see what he can pull out of them. I must say I'm surprised that it only took you a day to clear it out."

"To be fair, I've recently acquired a war dog and he helped quite a bit."

"A war dog? You are just full of surprises, Frost-Blood."

"Aye, sir. I try." Grim grinned slightly, then let out a slow breath.

"An interesting thing to have in mind, sir, is that the Imperial bastards spoke of a myth. A huge white wolf that came into the fort and attacked them. I can't substantiate that claim, having not seen it myself, but I remember hearing about the myth near Windhelm. Perhaps they saw my dog and mistook him for their mythical beast in their fear."

"That is interesting, Frost-Blood. It was most likely as you said. They were afraid and made a mistake."

"That was my thinking as well, but I thought you might like to know."

"Very good. Now, let's work out the de-briefing so that you and your comrades can get to your next assignment."

The rest of the day was taken up by making a report of everything that happened during their assault and capture of the prisoners. After that was done, Grim was allowed to leave with the pack. Istar gave him a packet, unopened, and he thanked his commander before turning to sit with his friends to read it. As suspected, it was their orders from Galmar and he read it over.

"Well, here it is, guys. We're to report to Solitude where Galmar is currently located, sieging the place."

"We're actually gonna be on the front lines?" asked Rhoni.

"Aye, it looks that way. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Galmar wants us there, he didn't say we were fighting. Let's just get there and see what he wants."

"When do you want to leave, Grim?" asked Fjolnar. He wanted this war to be over so he could retire and return to Kynesgrove, living out his days with his wife and son.

"We'll leave tomorrow. He doesn't say we need to rush, so it should keep until then."

"All right. We'll be prepared to leave in the morning. Kohl, don't drink too much with the other soldiers tonight," warned Fjolnar.

"Aw, come on, man. Geez, ye have one night where ye drink too much and no one lets ye ever forget it."

"One night, Kohl?" asked Marte and shook her head.

"Try more like every night!" said Froka with a laugh.

"Shut up!" Kohl kicked dirt toward her, but it only landed on her boots.

"Oh, I'm worried now." Froka giggled.

"Oh, ye will be!" Kohl grabbed her and started to wrestle her to the ground and Grim watched.

If he noticed that she needed help, he would have stepped in, but she handled Kohl easily, pinning him to the stone floor with a laugh.

"Got you."

"Yeah, yeah. Let me up. I gotta make sure I got everythin' I need for tomorrow."

Froka let him up and was on guard as he stood up, but then he left her there and went outside by himself. Rhoni rolled his eyes and shrugged, then followed his best friend outside as well. Marte shook her head and told Froka it wasn't her fault. The two of them went toward the bunks to pack up all their stuff into the backpacks. Jax and Salk went outside to see some of the other soldiers they knew. This left Fjolnar and Grim alone and they went up to one of the towers and sat up there.

"So, when will you tell them about Froka?"

"I'm thinking maybe on the trip to Solitude?"

"That sounds like a reasonable time to do it. After the fight here, before the fight there. If there is to be a fight there for us."

"Aye, I'm not sure what will happen when we get there. Galmar wasn't exactly specific in his instructions, just said he would see us when we got there."

He shrugged and then leaned back against the stone, closing his eyes and breathing the cold air deeply. It went into his lungs and made them cold, made him cold, but it felt good. It felt right. He sighed and then looked at his friend.

"You don't think they'll treat her that different, do you?" he asked Fjolnar.

"I'm really not sure, Grim. It was easy to not treat her differently during this fight because she was sniping in the trees, but I don't know if I would anyway. She certainly handled Kohl just fine."

"Aye, that she did. I'm always pleased with the way she surprises me. I have to tell you, I never thought I'd be feeling this way again. It's a good feeling, even if the idea of her fighting Imperials is scary to me."

"It was bound to happen, Grim. You couldn't be an isolated and celibate man for the rest of your life. Besides, I think Lifa will love Froka and vice versa."

"You think?"

"I do. I know both of them and they seem to me both people that would appreciate the other. I know Lifa would adore her as she does Iddra. I think somewhere inside you know it, too, Grim."

"You're undoubtedly right, Fjolnar. I think I do know that inside, it's just hard to come forth. You know?"

"I understand that, but you have to let it happen. If you spend your life sheltering Lifa from the women in your life, she'll wonder if you think she's not good enough, not the other way around."

"You have wisdom that is beyond you, Fjolnar. You know that?"

"Aye, I've been told a time or two before." He laughed. "Come on, let's get inside and eat something, then we'll sleep and be rested for the morning's journey."

The two of them went back into the fort and down to the dining hall. They sat down with some of their other fellows, officers, and ate a dinner of venison, pheasant, and rabbit. There was plenty of bread and cheese as well as mead and ale. None of the soldiers went hungry that night and though Kohl had more than the rest of the pack to drink, he didn't get drunk and they all got to their beds at a decent time. He'd asked one of the pages, aides to the officers, to wake him an hour after dawn. He waited until the rest of the group fell asleep, then he slipped outside without alerting too many to his exit. Only one, really, and he was quick to tell him that he just wanted to see a friend that was in one of the tents around the fort. They let him go and he walked out to a secluded grove of trees. Then he made sure that he was truly alone before closing his eyes and letting the change come over him. He licked his lips after opening his eyes once more and shook his fur out.

A glance around to make sure that there was no one near, he let his muzzle sort out the scents upon the breeze. He then ran to the other side of the road and up the mountain so that he looked down at the fort. He lifted his muzzle to the wind and let out a long, low howl. A rougher, more throaty version came from behind him and he flicked an ear before turning his head and spotting Meeko. He shook his head and rolled his blue eyes, but he returned to his howl. The shaggy dog's howl left something to be desired, but at least he was attempting. He had to admit that it added an eerie effect to it all. After the howl, he gazed down at the men camped around the fort and saw several of them pointing fingers at the mystical, almost, white wolf standing on the mountain ledge. Then in a dash of drama, Grim leaped away into the shadows, disappearing. He ran with Meeko, his breath coming quickly as his legs pounded into the snow and he dodged trees this way and that. He and Meeko wrestled a few times and chased one another like normal dogs. The night was ending much too soon, though, and they would have to return to the fort to get some sleep before leaving that morning. He found the same trees where he had changed and returned to his Nord form, heading back inside the fort. He acted drunk to the guard and explained that he'd had too much fun with his friends. Meeko walked alongside and "kept him upright". The guard let him pass through and Grim waited until he was out of sight to walk normal again. He looked down at Meeko.

"Good fun, boy. Let's get some sleep before we leave."

They made it back to the bunks quietly and Grim slid into his bed and fell asleep within minutes. He, along with the rest of his group, were awakened in the hour after dawn.

After taking care of his morning needs and dressing in clean clothes, leaving his Stormcloak armor off for now, he stretched. Heading into the dining hall to eat breakfast, the topic of conversation was the white wolf that appeared on the mountain last night. Istar told his officers that it was nothing, just superstition, but Grim could see that the man wasn't sure. Froka asked one of the officers about it and they all listened for the answer.

"The way I heard it, the thing just appeared on the mountain. The soldiers were drinking, so I'm not sure how factual the information is, but they all said they heard this really eerie howl and when they looked at the mountain, there it was." He shrugged. "Sounds spooky enough. Especially when Grim there was saying yesterday that the Imperials had mentioned a white wolf attacking them, too."

"I admit that it does sound creepy when you put it that way," Froka said and then smiled. "But I'm sure it's all just the result of drinking too much."

"I'm sure, but it's nice to believe there's a white wolf looking out for us, no?"

"It is nice to think about, but I doubt it. Wolves may be a pack animal, but they look out for their own," Jax said.

"That is true, but perhaps this wolf has decided that the Stormcloaks are its own?" Rhoni asked Jax.

"Come on, Rhoni. That's a bit far-fetched, even for you."

"That's enough gossiping, guys. We have a journey to prepare for. Come on." Grim got up from the table and headed to the bunks to get his pack.

The rest of the group said their farewells to the officers eating and went to get their packs as well. Thirty minutes later they were riding out of the fort mounted on their horses with Meeko loping beside Matilda. They would have to ride back to Dragon Bridge and then to Solitude, so he had told them all to keep their army clothes hidden. It wasn't like they needed them during normal everyday fights anyway. They were all pretty skilled enough to get through a fight without armor. They started their journey in the early morning hours, bundled in their cloaks against the cold of Sun's Dusk, and riding two by two. Three in Grim's case because of Meeko, but considering the fact that he ran in between Matilda's and Larth's legs he wasn't likely to consider him as an actual third in their row. Tilly didn't like him diving underneath her and more than once she'd half reared, but he'd kept her under control.

"Meeko, quit that. Tilly doesn't appreciate it." After that, the dog stopped going under the horses and just moved around the whole troop.

Halfway to Dragon Bridge, Grim could feel his friend's eyes on him and he sighed. Fjolnar wanted him to talk to the others about Froka. He didn't want to, exactly, but they should know. He was right. He pulled up near one of the small bridges when they'd have to go single file anyway and turned toward them.

"I have something to tell you all about. I don't want any problems because of what I say. Is that understood?" They all looked confused, but agreed.

"I have been seeing someone for the past two months."

This came as a surprise to most everyone, except for Fjolnar and Froka, obviously. They didn't notice that he'd been seeing anyone because it wasn't like he left their group to go see them. Grim realized he would have to go on.

"Froka and I are together."

"Froka?" Marte asked with a gasp, then looked at her friend, wondering why she hadn't said anything to her about her and Grim.

"It's true. I'm sorry, Marte, I wanted to tell you, but I told Grim that we would keep it to ourselves."

"Humpfh." Marte crossed her arms in front of her, but it was hard to stay mad at Froka. "Oh, bother. I'm so happy for you, Froka."

"Thank you, Marte."

"You old dog, you," said Jax and then smiled. "No one even had an inkling and I usually have a sense about this stuff. I'm surprised and impressed that you pulled the wool over my eyes." He laughed. "Congrats."

"Ain't ye worried 'bout her gettin' hurt?" asked Kohl.

Leave it to the one who cared the least about his actions, or at least appeared to care the least, to point out the crux of the matter.

"Aye, I'm worried about her every time we go on a mission, but since I saw how quickly she took you down last night, Kohl, I don't worry so much." He laughed.

"Oh sure, pick on me. I was jus' tired, that's all."

"Aye, I'm sure." Grim grinned and then turned back around in his saddle, looking toward the bridge ahead. "Fjolnar connected the dots and asked me about it two days ago. I came clean to him then, but he told me that I should tell the rest of you. I don't want you to treat Froka any different just because she and I are together." He looked back at them again. "And let's not mention it around the rest of the soldiers we come across, eh? It's not exactly good for us to be with one another while I'm her commander." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, then put his hat back on.

"He tried to stay away, he really did," Froka said with a smile. "But in the end he couldn't resist all this." She motioned to herself and then laughed, the group laughing with her.

They all agreed they wouldn't treat her differently, but Grim had a feeling that they still would, to some extent. How could they not? They'd just been told that Froka was their commander's woman. Grim knew they would do whatever they could to keep her safe and their commander happy. He supposed it wasn't horrible, but he was hoping that they wouldn't put their own lives at risk just to save her. No matter what. Once they had all rested for a few minutes, they continued along the trail over the bridge and then taking the turn toward Dragon Bridge. It hadn't snowed again and for the Grim had to be happy. It would have made traveling much harder for them if it had. With the sun that beat down on the snow that had fallen, it had gone down to just a foot and a half deep instead of five feet. The weather might be cooler during Sun's Dusk, but the sun was still warm.

As they came over the bridge and into the town, he saw his friends come out to greet them. Meeko barked at everyone, but his tail was wagging because Grim didn't broadcast through his body language that these people were dangerous. Clinton took to the dog immediately and he smiled. Dismounting, he figured they would eat lunch at the inn before continuing up the hill toward Solitude. Their horses secured, he watched as Clinton made sure they each had water to drink and hay to eat.

"Good job, Clinton." Grim handed him ten gold coins for caring for the horses. "That's for keeping them happy until we leave. Think you can do that?"

"I sure can, Grim!" The boy then went to start brushing the horses' sweaty bodies.

That taken care of, he turned to Azzada and greeted his friend before heading into the inn with him. Salk was already off with Julienne and Grim couldn't really blame the kid. They were engaged and rarely had time with one another. Sitting at the table, they had food and drink brought to them, then Azzada leaned against a post, looking at the group.

"So, what's up? Too cold out there for you?" he asked with a laugh.

"Naw, thought we might actually look into getting some of those horses after all. Maybe ship them to Windhelm." He didn't want to say they were headed to Solitude because the people surely knew that the city was being sieged.

"Thought you might be back for those horses, Grim."

"Aye, Tilly may not like that stallion, but I have family coming over from Hammerfell, so they might like them to ride."

"A good idea. Well, eat up. Don't worry about paying for this meal. It's on me."

"I couldn't, Azzada."

"Nonsense. You've helped us all more than you realize, Grim. We appreciate it, so the least we can do is pay for your meal. Thank you."

"Thanks, then."

Azzada then left them alone and he sighed. Froka sat next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. They were free to be this way now that the rest of the pack knew about them. He relaxed and put his arm around her waist, kissing the top of her head. The group tried not to watch, but Grim saw Marte grinning widely with happiness for her friends. After they had rested there for a while and eaten their meal, they said farewell to everyone, thanked them, then headed out of town toward Solitude. Grim couldn't forget something that Olda had said when she'd said goodbye. She had told him to be careful during the battle, not to depend solely on his instincts to save him. He had thought it odd that she said that, but she explained that sometimes she saw things. Then she had snuggled against Lodvar's side and waved them off. It stayed in his head as they rode toward the city that was currently being sieged by Galmar and the Stormcloak forces.

Grim didn't think for a minute that Azzada was so blind as to realize what they actually were and what they had returned to the area for, but he was glad that at least he hadn't said anything. For that alone he had his respect, if for nothing else. Finally, they reached the siege camp and he dismounted, with Meeko at his side, and let a page take the horses off to be with the others. Tilly wanted to stay with him, but a pat from Grim and she went with the boy. Fjolnar put his hand on Grim's shoulder and then squeezed. They were here. They had finally arrived. They were here for the big push into Solitude. After telling Grim where they would be, he went off with the group and let Grim go find Galmar to speak with him.

He watched his friends go, then took a deep breath and looked down at Meeko. The dog wagged his tail and licked his hand, then gazed around them. It was all new for him, but he seemed to like it. At least it appeared that way to Grim. He scratched the dog's ears and then walked toward a tent that he was directed toward where he would find Galmar. He waited after he went into the tent for his commander to notice him and then he walked up to the table with a map on it and nodded.

"Ah, Stormblade, you made it."

"Stormblade?" he asked.

"Aye, Ulfric's given ye the title of Stormblade. Here's a letter." Galmar handed the paper to Grim.

He read it over as he sat on an upturned bucket in the tent. Ulfric had written to him saying that he'd become a true hero of Skyrim and that he counted Grim among his kin now. He also mentioned how he would be known as Stormblade now because the love for the land and its people showed in his heart. That was true. He did feel very strongly about the freedom of Skyrim and its people. To be given a title, even just one that was in name, was a great accomplishment and he was pleased with it. He also read how he was to be directed to Solitude for the final assault. Galmar must have known that and sent the packet of orders for him with Istar. After he had gotten his orders, he'd come here and it was just as he was meant to be. He ruffled Meeko's neck lightly and then stood up. He walked over to Galmar and nodded again.

"Well then, what would you like me to do? I want to have my group with me."

"Aye, Stormblade, ye'll have yer group with ye. Right now we just need ye with the bunch that are goin' in to storm. We won't be headin' in just yet, though. We've been makin' small attacks with soldiers and usin' the catapults and ballistas to weaken 'em. They'll be good to assault soon 'nough. Until then, Stormblade, get settled in yer tent. We're gonna be here a while."

Taking that as a dismissal, Grim thanked him and turned to head to the tents. He had to locate his group and get his gear set up in his own tent. He didn't have to worry about walking through the bunch of rough soldiers even when they bumped into him. Meeko was a constant at his side and whenever anyone tried to start something usually just a lift of his teeth made the guy back off. He was glad to have both Tilly and Meeko that were willing to fight for him, even though he did worry about their safety at times. It only took him about a half hour to find his pack and with them, his tent. He sighed and laid on the bed. Meeko rested his muzzle on Grim's stomach, sighing as well.

"So, Stormblade, eh?" asked Fjolnar.

"You guys know that already?"

"Oh yeah, it was all over camp. They knew we were with you and so they called us Stormblade's crew," Jax said.

"Not that I'm complainin'," Kohl said with a smile and then took a drink of mead from the mug.

"Easy on that, Kohl. Galmar said we're gonna be a part of the final push, but that it wasn't going to happen yet. Still, I want you sober and ready at a moment's notice. I'm not saying you can't have any at all, just don't get drunk."

"Whatever. I'm fine. Rhoni says I fight better when I'm drunk."

"No, you misheard me, as you often do, Kohl. I said you are more entertaining when you fight while drunk. Entertaining for everyone else."

"All right, guys. Head out and find your own beds. I need rest. So does Meeko."

The group heeded his wishes and left him alone in his tent with the dog. Kohl and Rhoni went to Kohl's tent to drink and play cards. Froka and Marte went to Marte's tent to talk about whatever it was girls talked about when they were alone. Jax went to his own to read a book. Salk, saddened at having left his fiancee behind, went into his tent and began to write in a journal poems for his lady love. Fjolnar made the rounds, finding several people that he knew and spending time with them. Grim remained where he was and fell asleep. After running the night before as the wolf, then being on the go since just after dawn, he was exhausted. Not to mention the battle two days before. As he fell asleep, the sounds of trebuchet sending ammunition into the walls of Solitude came to him. He slept amazingly well while camped at a siege camp. He'd never expected it. He'd thought that the more the trebuchet and catapults were set off, the worse his sleep would be, but he supposed that being tired helped him fall asleep.

The next day was a pretty slow one, with drills (they were with the army camp now) and exercise in the morning, then the rest of the day they were left to themselves. There would be drills again in the evening. He made his way to the camp's stables and found Matilda. She was by herself because no one dared to get close to her and he sighed. He wished they would have found him to get her calmed down. She had a sheen of sweat from the stress and that wasn't good. He walked up to her, holding his arm out to her and watched her head. Her ears were pinned and her teeth bared, but after dodging a few of her attempts to bite him, she realized it was Grim and not one of the stable people.

"Easy girl. It's me. Come on, you need a good run to get off that energy."

He opened the stall she was in currently and let her run past him. Meeko barked and jumped aside, then ran after her. Grim followed at a slower pace, but enough to keep them in sight. He let them run away from the camp. The mare leaped and bucked, squealing with excitement as she ran around farting as horses had a tendency to do. Meeko played with her, bowing into and eating the snow, wagging his tail so wild that Grim thought for sure he would start to float. As he leaned on a tree watching them, Rhoni came over to him.

"Hey Rhoni. How are you doing today?"

"Oh, good, you know. It's been a nice rest after the battle at Snowhawk." Rhoni gazed at the horse and dog. "That mare of yours puts on a big show, but she does like the dog. It's clear as day. They're unlikely friends, no?"

"Aye, it does seem that way. She doesn't like dogs and wolves, but is coming to like Meeko it looks like."

"Good for her. It helps to have friends." Then Rhoni went quiet and leaned on a tree close to the one Grim was leaning on.

"Is something on your mind, Rhoni?" he asked.

"There is, sorta. You know how you told us that you and Froka had been together?" Rhoni asked and when Grim nodded, he went on. "I've started to see someone the last couple months."

"Oh? I don't remember seeing you with anyone at any of the stops we were at."

"Well, I uh..." Rhoni seemed to get nervous and looked at his hands in front of him. He sighed and then looked at the branches above. "It's Kohl."

Grim should have been surprised, but he wasn't. The two were very close friends and he should have guessed that they were more than that. He looked at Rhoni and smiled at him.

"Good for you, Rhoni. I'm sure that took a lot of guts to admit out loud, eh?"

Rhoni nodded and took a steadying breath and then dried his sweaty hands.

"I appreciate that. I really do. Yes, it was hard to say it out loud, but now that I have I'm glad that I did. Kohl is still worried about his image or whatever, but I don't really care." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I never thought I would be attracted to a man, but the way I feel about Kohl... It just happened."

"That's really the best kind of love out there, Rhoni. When it just happens. Like Froka and I. I never thought I would find love again after Aeri died bringing our daughter into the world and now... Now I have this new love that I want to nurture and develop. It's amazing."

"It is." He was quiet for a while. "Well, I guess I will head back now. Here comes Tilly and Meeko. Talk to you later."

"Later, Rhoni. And tell Kohl not to worry so much."

After Rhoni had left, he went to Matilda and ran his hands over her, feeling her quivering from running so hard. He shook his head and then smiled at her.

"You are a silly mare. And you, Meeko, are a silly dog. Come on, let's head back to camp. I'll see about getting you a pen to stay in, Tilly, instead of a stall. You need to stretch those legs."

The trio walked through the snow back to camp. Later that day, he was sitting in his tent and writing in his journal. Froka had come to see him, but they had kept away from doing anything romantic. They didn't need anyone watching them. They'd just talked and it was a good time to just sit there with her and do so. Now he was alone and writing in his journal about the events of the past few days. Froka had brought him lunch when she'd come to visit so at least he'd eaten. After writing in the book for a bit, he stretched and Meeko lifted his head, yawning.

"Oh hush, you mutt. Come on, let's see if we can find something for you to eat." He got up and walked out of the tent, heading toward one of the cooking fires to see what was available. He put food on his plate and made a plate for Meeko and set it on the ground for the dog to eat. He sat on a log and looked at the others that were there. They were talking among themselves, but he didn't contribute with the conversation, just watching while he ate. He wasn't sure where his group was at the moment, but that didn't matter. It wasn't like he had to be around them all the time. He was here to fight the Imperials for Skyrim's freedom. He hoped they would do it soon. He could still hear the trebuchets and catapults going off.

He would find out the next morning when Galmar sent for him and he reached the tent. He was told to prepare his crew, that Ulfric was there and would address the soldiers within the hour. Grim nodded and left the tent, heading to his own so he could round up the pack.

After rounding them all up, they made their way up to the front of the encampment so they would be able to see much better. They stood all together, the eight of them, with Meeko on his left side and Fjolnar on his right. There was a small platform at the front and Ulfric stood on it now with Galmar who raised his arms out to address everyone.

"Soldiers of Skyrim, listen here! We'll be advancin' on the bastards inside this city, but before we do that our leader and High King would like to say a few words to ye. Keep yer ears open." He then lowered his arms and stepped backward.

Ulfric thanked his friend and comrade, then stepped forward, raising his own arms to the crowd.

"This is it, men! It's time to make this city ours!" He motioned to the walls that were starting to crumble behind him.

"We come to this moment carried by the sacrifices and the courage of our fellows. Those who have fallen and those still bearing the shields to our right."

Grim looked over at his best friend, Fjolnar, when that was said and smiled. Ulfric went on with his speech.

"On this day, our enemy will know the fullness of our determination, the true depth of our anger, and the exalted righteousness of our cause."

There was a great cheering after the words that Ulfric spoke and Grim joined in. Meeko barked along, his tail wagging quickly.

"The gods are watching. The spirits of our ancestors are stirring, and the men under suns yet to dawn will be transformed by what we do here today."

Ulfric looked over the crowd, as if he were making sure that each man and woman understood what he was saying before going on. The cheers were almost deafening at this point.

"Fear neither pain, nor darkness. For Sovngarde awaits those who die with weapons in their hands, and courage in their hearts. We now fight our way to Castle Dour to cut the head off the legion itself!"  
Galmar raised his axe in cheer and the crowd got louder, if that was possible. If those in Solitude didn't know what was coming, he would be very surprised. Ulfric went on, driving the Stormcloaks into a fury.

"And in that moment, the gods will look down and see Skyrim as she was meant to be. Full of Nords who are mighty, powerful, and free! Ready now! Everyone, with me! For the sons and daughters of Skyrim!"

Grim felt the prickles of goosebumps rising on his skin from the rousing speech that Ulfric gave before they made their assault on Solitude. He shivered and caused Meeko to look at him. He shook his head, then looked at his pack and nodded. A commotion from the back of the crowd had him turning around though and he saw Matilda running through soldiers as if they were not there. She made a beeline right to him and he smiled at her. Of course she didn't want to miss this. He shook his head and held his hand up as she got to him and she skidded to a halt. He apologized to those that were close enough to him, then patted her neck.

"You cause me so much trouble, wench." He grinned and then looked at the leaders who were signaling that it was time to go. He mounted Matilda bareback and without a halter or bridle and urged her along with everyone else. He cast a glance over at Froka and sighed. He wished he could hold her in his arms and tell her how much he didn't want her to be there, but he couldn't. She was her own person and she wanted to fight for Skyrim's freedom as well. He couldn't stop her even if he tried.  
A force of soldiers were brought up with a battering ram and worked on the door. After almost a half hour the ram made it through and it was then opened for the troops to get through. Grim withdrew his sword from its scabbard, holding his shield ready. As the company advanced, so, too, did Grim with Matilda and Meeko.

The fighting that ensued was intense and bloody. With losses on both sides, they made a push through the Imperials and into Solitude itself. It wasn't over there, though. They needed to get to Castle Dour, to find General Tullius and put an end to his tyranny! As they went through the city, Grim used his sword, left and right, from the back of Matilda, but that didn't last forever. Before long, he had so many Imperial soldiers around him that he got pulled off the mare. Freed from being ridden, Matilda began to fight in earnest. Her hooves sliced through the air as did her equine screams. Meeko, too, was taking out soldiers with his teeth and size. Knocking them down and biting their throats. His growls and snaps were loud enough that Grim heard them over the noise of the fighting.

After being pulled off the horse, he was surrounded on all sides. A few quick jabs, however, and he had an opening that he could dodge through to evade. He lost sight of the rest of his group amid all the bodies and before long the noise even drowned out Matilda and Meeko's noises. He felt as if he were on his own, fighting an impossible battle. His instincts drove him and he dodged this way and that, slicing with his sword and protecting with his shield. He told himself that if he made it out of this he would never join the army ever again. He would be done. He would take Froka, marry her, and live out his days in Kynesgrove. He was so involved in the fighting, he didn't notice the sword hilt that was aimed at his head until it was too late. After it hit him, he still stumbled a few steps away. Then he gasped as he watched a sword pierce his body. There was no pain, just blood. And cold. He was very cold.

Falling to the ground, bleeding, he breathed deeply. His blue gaze looked all around, as if memorizing the last things he would see. He groaned as he was kicked and jostled on the ground, in danger of being trampled. Finding the power inside to stand up, he rose to his feet and pulled the blade out of his body. His gaze bored into the soldier in front of him and the man shook with fear. Rage had taken over Grim and he began to hack the Imperials that came up to fight him. It was only after he had fought for another twenty minutes that he felt the pain. He also felt tired. Finding a niche against the wall, he leaned in it and looked down at the wound. He attempted to use his healing magic, but his head was getting fuzzy and he couldn't chant the words. The darkness overtook him and he fell into the slumber.

 _Frost-Blood, wake up. Come, you must wake up. You are not meant to die here today._

What was that voice? He knew it. Groaning, he blinked and then closed his eyes, feeling the sharp pain in his head.

"Who's there?"

 _It is I, Frost-Blood. Listen and remember. You know who I am. You must wake up._

That's strange. He felt so heavy and tired. And sore. He grunted and made to shake his head, but after the first movement of his head, he knew that would be a bad idea.

"I'm awake, it just hurts to open my eyes. What's going on?"

It was Talos, it had to be Talos, but why? How could he be there during the battle?

 _You are correct in thinking I cannot show myself here, but Frost-Blood, you must know this. You are meant for greater things._

"Greater things? Like what?"

 _I cannot tell you. You must discover them when the time is right. Rouse yourself. You cannot die here._

"I'm not sure who taught you anything, but I've lost a lot of blood and I... I'm getting tired."

 _Stay awake, Frost-Blood. Think of your daughter. Think of your lover. Think of your family and friends. They need you._

He was sure that this was all just a hallucination, but who was he to say anything? He had been seeing Talos for a long time now. Perhaps he had some disease or something.

"I'm not sure how I can survive."

 _Leave that to me, Frost-Blood. I simply need you to want to live. Do you want to live?_

"Now what kinda question is that? Course I wanna live."

 _Very well, Frost-Blood. Very well. Sleep now._

The battle raged for hours. There were heavy losses on both sides, but more so on the side of the Imperial Legion as General Tullius himself was killed by Ulfric in the castle. A speech was made and there was much celebrating, but for a group of seven soldiers, a horse and a dog, there was little to celebrate. It would take at least a week to go through all the bodies in the city, of both armies, and one man was missing. The one man that was important to them all. Grim Frost-Blood had disappeared.


End file.
